The American Heart Association, Greater Washington Region (AHA GWR) is kicking off a collaboration with Coforma, a digital services company based in Washington, DC, to advance key local health initiatives: healthy pantries and the Heart of Greater Washington campaign.
“Coforma is thrilled to support the American Heart Association’s efforts to advance community health and increase the availability of healthy offerings at local food pantries,” said Eduardo Ortiz, CEO of Coforma. “When individuals in our communities have the resources they need to improve their total wellbeing, we all benefit.”
With support from Coforma, the AHA GWR will help six local food assistance providers implement healthy nutrition policies. The policies will align with AHA’s recommended nutrition guidelines for food banks, food pantries, and meal programs by ensuring food and produce items to meet healthy standards. Pantries implementing these policies will also receive resources to select healthy food and drink options for community members and provide resources to local supporters on what items are best for donation. The AHA GWR is committed to addressing other health disparities and will equip food assistance providers with tools to help clients improve their overall health, including quitting smoking, controlling blood pressure and preparedness in case of a cardiac emergency.
“Food pantries play a critical role in filling gaps for communities lacking access to healthy meals, yet they are often overlooked and underfunded,” said Bryan O. Buckley, DrPH, MPH, MBA, AHA GWR board member. “Support from organizations like Coforma makes a critical difference in improving access to healthy foods for those needing food assistance.”
Culminating with the Heart Ball on April 5, the Heart of Greater Washington campaign helps sustain nutrition security efforts in the community. The year-round campaign unites individuals and companies across the DC metro area to raise lifesaving funds that fuel innovations in cardiovascular science, and advance health and hope for all. The Heart of Greater Washington campaign drives awareness of heart disease and stroke prevention and supports health equity programming with a focus on nutrition security, CPR education, hypertension control and more.
Companies interested in collaborating with the AHA GWR to support nutrition security efforts in the Greater Washington Region can contact Emily Cooper and Lucía Zegarra to learn more.