BOSTON -- On October 17 at its seventh annual "Food is Medicine" event, the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, honored the CHA Revere Care Center, part of academic community health system Cambridge Health Alliance, with its Community Champion Food is Medicine Award and a $5,000 grant. The award is given annually to a GBFB partner that is advancing the awareness, understanding and implementation of food as a health intervention.

In 2018, the CHA Revere Care Center began working with GBFB, Good Measures and Tufts Health Plan to establish a free monthly produce-only market that provides nutrition education and health information to patients on site. The market offers 25-30 pounds of fresh produce per household each month; 90,402 pounds of produce have been distributed to more than 1,500 CHA patients and community members since its inception.

The CHA Revere Care Center and its partners are also conducting research on the health outcomes of their patients. The collaboration was funded by a social determinants of health grant from the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office.

"We are truly honored and extremely grateful for all of the support from the Greater Boston Food Bank, Good Measures and Tufts Health Plan to help us address a critical need in the Revere community and beyond," said Mary Cassesso, CHA's chief community officer. "Food insecurity affects a wide range of families across our region, including many children, and our monthly market plays an important role to fill that gap and, as a result, profoundly affect the health and well-being in the community."

"Research proves the link between nutrition, childhood development and overall health," said GBFB CEO Catherine D'Amato. "We are fortunate to live in a region with a wealth of top-tier medical institutions that put this research to great use in improving the health of our communities. We greatly value our relationships with organizations like the Cambridge Health Alliance-Revere who are making a positive impact in the lives of their patients."