June 1, 2017

"The Portal allows me to educate myself about the needs and types of programs and retail strategies that can be offered -- what kinds of stores can support low-income communities, and is there funding to do that? These resources and the mapping tools are very helpful."

Over the last five years, practitioners, advocates, and community members like you have helped make healthyfoodaccess.org the go-to resource for individuals, organizations, policymakers, and institutions dedicated to improving access to healthy, affordable food in low-income communities and communities of color. This movement has elevated to the national conversation the critical issue of inequitable access to food by place, race, and income, and in turn, helped advance important policy wins and spotlight program successes that are improving the health and economic vitality of neighborhoods across the country.

But our work is not yet done. As this movement grows, the Healthy Food Access Portal continues to evolve and to better respond to the needs of those working towards addressing the issue of access to healthy foods– to ensure that all communities can thrive.

Building upon the feedback and input of stakeholders, we are thrilled to announce the launch of the newly designed Portal, with new and refined resources to better support advocates, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders to further their work – whether a local policy campaign or launch of a local healthy food business – to the next level. 

The new Portal features:

• Easy-to-use Navigation to quickly access relevant information and tools 
• The launch of the Healthy Food Access Policy Network, a virtual community of advocates and stakeholders connected through a monthly newsletter
• New content for advocates and entrepreneurs interested in taking policy action or launching a business   

We hope the Healthy Food Access Portal continues to serve as an effective and timely tool for your ongoing efforts and work to come. Let us know what you think of the new resources and tools at [email protected], sign up for the Policy Network, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @Access Food to stay connected.

--PolicyLink, The Food Trust, and Reinvestment Fund