4.23.19
/ Nutrition

God’s Love Goes Local and Sustainable

At God’s Love, our Nutrition Services and Kitchen departments recognize the benefits of using locally sourced, sustainable ingredients in our medically tailored meals. For our clients, these products often taste better – local producers need not focus as much on packing, shipping and shelf life and instead can prioritize quality, freshness and nutrition. Buying locally and sustainably is also good for the environment and supports small farmers and producers in our own community. With that in mind, we are excited to share some of the recent efforts we have made to expand our use of local, sustainable, or organic foods:

• Single-source spices: When you buy spices from the supermarket, they have often changed hands hundreds of times over the course of years, being mixed and processed with spices from many different farms and regions. Our chefs have recently begun using single-source spices, which are fresher, higher quality, and can be traced back to their specific place of origin.

• Domestic wild fish: For the fish dishes on our menu, our chefs are using domestic wild fish, such as salmon and pollock, more and more. Pollock is the most abundant, sustainable fish in the U.S. With few exceptions, wild-caught fish are more nutritious and better for the environment than farm-raised fish.

• GrowNYC: As part of our Grocery Bag program, we purchase fresh, local produce from GrowNYC, a non-profit seeking to improve New York City’s quality of life through environmental programs that transform communities block by block and empower all New Yorkers to secure a clean and healthy environment for future generations. Every week, we pack produce in a grocery bag that is delivered to clients living with HIV who are able to cook for themselves, with a recipe and a handout that explains how to store and prep the items in the bag that week.

• Local dairy: Our kitchen uses milk from Byrne Dairy in many of our recipes. Located in Syracuse, NY, Byrne Dairy is a fourth generation, family-owned producer and distributor of dairy products that works with local farmers to provide fresh, high quality milk. Chuck the Baker supports all these steps, saying, “The future must be regional, organic agriculture and more community-based business.” We are grateful to all the local and sustainable vendors, suppliers and farms working with God’s Love to provide our clients with the highest quality, most nutritious food possible that their illness and treatment require.

Chuck the Baker supports all these steps, saying, “The future must be regional, organic agriculture and more community-based business.” We are grateful to all the local and sustainable vendors, suppliers and farms working with God’s Love to provide our clients with the highest quality, most nutritious food possible that their illness and treatment require.

3.11.24 / Policy

Food is Medicine Mid-Year Convening

The Food is Medicine Coalition Advisory Board members, FIMC Committee Chairs and policy staff, and representatives from God’s Love We Deliver convened in Washington, D.C. to advocate for medically tailored meals (MTMs) at the…