UnitedHealthcare has awarded $1 million in Empowering Health grants to seven community-based organizations in Kansas to expand access to care and address the social determinants of health for uninsured individuals and underserved communities.  The Kansas Food Bank is one of those recipients.

The Kansas Food Bank received $250,000 to purchase a refrigerated semi-truck trailer, provide a walk-in cooler for a food pantry in rural Western Kansas to serve as a fresh food hub for other food pantries in the region, expand the agency’s mobile pantry program into rural Central Kansas counties, and provide emergency food boxes and shelf-stable meals for food insecure individuals and families.

Other organizations in Kansas that received grant awards include:

• Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City
• Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas
• Johnson County Mental Health Center
• Valeao Behavioral Health in Topeka
• Just Food in Douglas County
• Harvesters in Northeast Kansas

In total, UnitedHealthcare is donating $12.3 million through Empowering Health grants across 21 states. UnitedHealthcare launched its Empowering Health commitment in 2018.