Greater Flint Health Coalition-REACH Program works to ensure that at-risk families within Genesee County have increased access to healthier food, breastfeeding resources, and chronic health community programs through clinical community linkages.
How do we do that?
Increase Options for Good Nutrition Across the Lifespan (REACH, Center of Disease Control, 2017)
- Partner with food vendors, distributors, and producers to increase the number of healthy foods they buy and sell.
- Improve local nutrition programs and food systems. At GFHC we are focusing our efforts in supporting food pantries in churches, health centers, and mobile markets that follow nutrition standards that increase the availability of healthy foods.
- Support breastfeeding moms by making it easier to breastfeed in more places. GFHC partners with YOLO-You Overcoming Lactation Obstacles, to establish breastfeeding rooms in workplaces, places of worship, and more to support black and brown mothers in their breastfeeding journey. We also will train health workers to give mothers the help and support they need to breastfeed.
Increase Access to Chronic Health Community Resources:
- We help connect the dots between clinics and chronic health resources. We are creating a chronic health community linkage guide to connect black and brown families coming from clinics, health service providers and agencies to chronic health services.
Our Current Partners
Flint Fresh
Flint Fresh collaborates with local stakeholders to develop and implement strategies that support an equitable and sustainable food system that assures residents access to good food in Genesee County. They do this by providing veggie food boxes, a mobile market, and an active food hub for the community.
Hurley Food FARMacy
Food FARMacy provides patients identified as food insecure by their primary care providers access to fresh fruits and vegetables and integrated food pantry.
Freedom Temple Church of God
Freedom Temple is a church that loves and serves the community. Freedom Temple provides a weekly food pantry to support families and community members in North- End Flint.
Calvary United Methodist Church
Calvary United Methodist Church seeks to “Knowing Christ Intimately, Sharing Christ Passionately.” They do this by providing food pantry services for families and community members in greater Flint and Genesse County.
Mott Children’s Health Center
Mott Children’s Health Center’s Department of Child and Adolescent Health provides a full range of primary health care services for eligible children and teens up to age 18. They also provide an in-home food pantry specifically for families receiving services at Mott Children’s Health Center.
You Overcoming Lactation Obstacles (YOLO)
YOLO provides lactation and breastfeeding empowerment and education services to families throughout Genesee County while centering Black and Indigenous families as they reach their birth and breastfeeding goals.
Michigan State University (MSU)
Michigan State University, College of Medicine, Division of Public Health is our research evaluator for REACH. They have extensive history and deep-rooted knowledge of Flint and Genesee County, MI and add their research expertise to the work of the REACH grant.