Health Commission hears expansion of 'food as medicine' programs as pandemic deepens food insecurity

The San Francisco Department of Public Health on Feb. 16 told the Health Commission that pandemic-driven job loss and program closures have sharply increased food insecurity and that DPH and community partners scaled household delivery, vouchers and clinic-based food pharmacies to reach residents.

DPH Director of Food Security Paula Jones told commissioners that local need spiked during the pandemic and that coordinated city efforts have delivered immediate help: a quarantine/isolation meal program referred by medical providers and contact tracers has served more than 4,700 households (about 16,500 people) to date, and a voucher program distributed roughly 100,000 grocery and produce vouchers to about 3,400 families targeted to high-need communities. "Food insecurity means that you do not have adequate food…