Forging Links Between Nutrition and Healthcare Using Community-Based Partnerships

This pilot project tested the feasibility of a community-based partnership between community clinics and food pantries as an approach to combat diet-related illnesses and engage low-income individuals in healthcare. Many communities possess both kinds of agencies, which serve similar clienteles and are geographically near each other, but these types of agencies rarely have partnered. The "LINKS" program built partnerships between clinics and food pantries at 2 sites. For more than 6 months, the clinics conducted health screenings and provided referrals during scheduled pantry food distributions. Results indicate that clinics can effectively partner with food pantries, an overlooked resource for health promotion.