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Santa Barbara, CA, December 17, 2024: Through an industry leading partnership with CenCal Health, Organic Soup Kitchen is the first Santa Barbara County based agency to provide Medically Tailored Meals to CenCal’s health plan members. This groundbreaking collaboration will expand access to nutrition intervention that improves health outcomes and reduces hospital visits and medical care costs.
“Our communities face an epidemic of diet related illness,” says Carroccio. “For those experiencing food insecurity, the reliance on inexpensive processed food only exacerbates chronic disease. By providing access to premium, unprocessed meals through our healthcare system, we can tackle both issues and improve the quality of life for individuals and families in our community.”
Research shows that Medically Tailored Meals have a significant impact on health outcomes, medical care costs and patient satisfaction. According to data compiled by the Food is Medicine Coalition, improved health outcomes include better mental health, greater diabetes management, healthier eating habits and increased medication adherence. Furthermore, Medically Tailored Meals are shown to reduce healthcare costs, shorten hospital stays and decrease the number of hospitalizations and ER visits.
Since 2009, Organic Soup Kitchen has served 3+ million bowls of handcrafted and home delivered nutrient dense soups to individuals recovering from cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. For 15 years, the agency has been at the forefront of the Food is Medicine movement and is proud to be a catalyst for nutrition access through our healthcare system. Organic Soup Kitchen is one of only 10% of nonprofits in the US to achieve platinum status on Guidestar and a proud member of 1% for the Planet.
To provide this lifesaving nutrition, the organization is asking the community for $100,000 to triple the agency’s cold storage space with two new walk-in freezers and emergency back up batteries. Please visit www.organicsoupkitchen.org to learn more and contribute.