Nutrition Empowerment Initiative

Goal Increase Nutrition  Empowerment in the lives of Lifelong’s clients,  specifically people of color (POC) living with HIV/AIDS through a food and nutrition-based community engagement initiative

Nutrition Empowerment “The essence of empowerment is that it cannot be bestowed by others but must be gained by those who seek it” (Improving Health Outcomes through Community Empowerment: A Review of the Literature, 2006).  The movement to create a more just and sustainable world by recognizing the power of one's food choices Clients will be empowered by their knowledge and resources surrounding food and nutrition—to make nutritional choices that promote healthy living.

Lifelong is a community health organization committed to empowering people living with or at risk of HIV and/or other chronic conditions to lead healthier lives. 

Medical Case Management Housing Insurance Sexual Health Education Dental Insurance  Nutrition counseling, medically tailored meals, and groceries

Lifelong’s Chicken Soup Brigade aligns their work with the efforts of the Food is Medicine Coalition (FIMC).  FIMC provides evidence- based, medical food and nutrition intervention to critically and chronically ill people in their communities

Objectives Community mobilization to promote healthy living Engage communities of color in Nutrition Empowerment  Create an initiative that aligns with the mission of Lifelong and Food is Medicine Increased Nutrition Empowerment evaluated by a measurable goal

Target Demographic  People of color— specifically in Black and Indigenous populations—living with HIV/AIDS

Tasks: Identify Research Imagine Create Develop Develop a method to evaluate the success of the initiative. Be sure to define what success looks like for your initiative Create Create innovative communication (marketing, artwork or narratives, data visualization, etc.) that could be a part of a tool kit for embedding Nutritional Empowerment in the heart of Lifelong’s programs and work with clients Imagine Imagine interactive nutrition educational materials that are culturally relevant, interesting and engaging Research Research other models of engaging POC living with chronic health conditions around growing food in a variety of ways and evaluate the impact Identify Identify existing community gardens, partnerships with farms, and/or Lifelong’s kitchen and nutrition team that could be utilized to design a series of proposals for a Nutritional Empowerment initiative 

Challenges to consider:​ Barriers for Lifelong as an organization: Funding, staffing, sustainability, marketing, feasibility, and  cultural competency  Barriers for POC: access to resources (time, transportation, and nutritious food), and food deserts