ACAP Recognizes The Food Project with 2024 Supporting The Safety Net Award
Pictured from left to right: Meg Murray, CEO of ACAP; Dr. Lorena de Leon, Senior Director of Population Health, MPC; Michelle Suazo, Executive Director, UEmpower Food Projects; Dr. Bruce VanDerver, Chief Medical Officer, MPC; Enrique Martinex-Vidal, Vice President for Quality and Operations, Association for Community Affiliated Plans; Hannah Lascano, Quality Operations Manager, ACAP
WASHINGTON—The Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) today presented its nineteenth annual Supporting the Safety Net Award to UEmpower of Maryland’s The Food Project, a Baltimore-based organization committed to combatting food insecurity and unemployment through food distribution and social services. The non-profit was nominated by ACAP-member plan Maryland Physicians Care.
Based in West Baltimore, The Food Project defines itself as a cross-cutting organization, that goes beyond addressing food insecurity by fostering career development within the community.
With a holistic approach to addressing food insecurity, The Food Project provides an array of free educational programs revolving around cooking, gardening and food safety. These programs are designed to not only teach youths how to grow and cook food, but also how to utilize these skills for future careers in food service. The organization also tackles the root causes of food insecurity and unemployment by acknowledging the relationship between transportation access and hunger.
In addition to serving as a social care hub in Baltimore, The Food Project also supports traditional food insecurity initiatives such as meal distribution. In 2023, The Food Project distributed more than 300,000 pounds of food through their pop-up markets, MEGA Food Giveaways and meal delivery program. Its MEGA Food Giveaways alone distribute 24 pallets of food each month, supporting residents of Southwest Baltimore.
“The Food Project’s transformative impact and dedication to young people and the broader Baltimore community is unmatched,” said Jason Rottman, CEO of Maryland Physicians Care. “Their efforts not only deliver essential food resources but also empower people with skills and opportunities – such as culinary training and mentorship – that help them to thrive.”
“Community-based organizations are vital to the success of Safety Net Health Plans,” said ACAP CEO Meg Murray. “Organizations like The Food Project address social determinants of health, and in turn contribute to the well-being of the people served through our health plans. We are honored to recognize The Food Project for all their work to fight food insecurity and unemployment in Baltimore.”
The Supporting the Safety Net Award recognizes a community-based organization or individual that has implemented exemplary, inventive programs to meet the health needs of high-risk populations and that can serve as a model of best practices for other communities.
The award was presented at ACAP’s CEO Summit in Washington, D.C.
About Maryland Physicians Care:
Maryland Physicians Care (MPC), headquartered in Linthicum Heights, Md., provides free, quality health care services to Maryland’s HealthChoice enrollees by extending the full benefits of Medicaid through a comprehensive network of medical providers. MPC was founded in 1996 and is owned by Ascension Saint Agnes, Holy Cross Health, Meritus Health, and UPMC Western Maryland. MPC believes in helping its members make good decisions about their health through free, quality health care services. Those interested in enrolling with MPC must be qualifying members of HealthChoice, a program of the Maryland Department of Health. Learn more about MPC by visiting mpcMedicaid.com. Enroll with MPC at mpcmedicaid.com/enroll.
About ACAP:
ACAP represents 82 health plans, which collectively provide health coverage to more than 25 million people. Safety Net Health Plans serve their members through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Marketplace and other publicly sponsored health programs. For more information, visit www.communityplans.net.
