The Connection, Health, and Equity through Food (CHEF) Program

What is the CHEF Program?

The CHEF Program is a collaborative network of organizations and volunteer initiatives across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Eastern Massachusetts, and Upstate New York that are focused on increasing older adults’ equitable access to healthy food and social connection.

Regional Learning Collaborative

Through monthly webinars and virtual cross-border collaborative conversations, the CHEF Program will focus on equity while sharing best practices and creative solutions to:

Increase older people’s access to quality and culturally appropriate food and nutrition, particularly in rural areas of the region
Promote healthy eating later in life, especially if cooking is a challenge
Keep older people connected to others and to their communities, especially when they’re experiencing challenges with transportation, dementia, caregiving, or poverty
Use technology to increase access to food, socialization, and services
Address the root causes of food insecurity and social isolation

CHEF Program partners will learn how to replicate and sustain these practices in their communities through this programming.

The Connection, Health, & Equity through Food (CHEF) Grant Program

Under the banner of Hannaford’s “Eat Well. Be Well. – A Path to Better Health” initiative, the CHEF Grant Program will fund organizations and projects supporting the needs of diverse older adults, including improving equitable access to food, and increasing opportunities for socialization. Grants will allow awardees to make investments in programmatic infrastructure, sustainably expand current programming and/or launch innovative, new programming that supports the food and social connection needs of older people. Priority will be given to projects and programs that serve diverse older people, veterans, and older people living with disabilities. Funds can also be used to help find solutions to the root causes of food insecurity and social isolation, including but not limited to poverty, transportation, rurality, and language barriers.

The application period for the first round of CHEF grant funding is now closed. Check back here for grant updates soon!

A Focus on Equity

The CHEF Program encompasses a specific focus on supporting older people who experience additional systemic barriers to accessing food and socialization. To support this focus, we will invite leaders from traditionally marginalized communities to join our Advisory Council to help guide the CHEF Program. This includes leaders from the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) community, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Questioning (LGBTQ+) individuals, immigrants, people with disabilities, and older veterans, as well as those living in rural areas with limited access to transportation and broadband.