CCA Health Rhode Island’s partnership with Meals on Wheels of RI dates back to 2020; part of long-term effort to combat food insecurity and social isolation in the Ocean State
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – September 27, 2023 – CCA Health Rhode Island, a mission-driven healthcare services organization offering high-quality health plans and care delivery programs designed for individuals with significant needs, is continuing its efforts to combat food insecurity in the Ocean State with an expanded philanthropic partnership with Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island.
Since 2020, CCA Health Rhode Island annually supported the nonprofit organization’s annual March for Meals campaign and other food insecurity programs. This year, CCA Health Rhode Island is also the presenting sponsor of Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island’s culturally responsive Capital City Café Program.
“At CCA Health Rhode Island, we’ve seen first-hand how social factors can impact our members’ overall health and well-being, and we’re committed to helping every individual we serve live a higher quality of life,” said Corey McCarty, Senior Vice President and General Manager, CCA Health Rhode Island. “Our expanded partnership with Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island is a testament to that commitment. We’re incredibly proud to support their Capital City Café Program, which helps alleviate both hunger and social isolation among older adults by bringing culturally authentic meals tailored to their community directly to them. By helping people gather and socialize, and by offering nutritious foods they enjoy, we aim to enrich and improve the health of our communities.”
Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island’s Capital City Café Program provides at-risk older adults with socialized dining opportunities, including monthly culturally appropriate dining sites. CCA Health Rhode Island will sponsor Capital City Café dining sites for the state’s Latinx and Southeast Asian communities.
”Meals on Wheels of RI is incredibly thankful for CCA Health Rhode Island’s continued support of our mission to meet the nutritional and social needs of those we serve so that they can maintain safe and independent lifestyles,” said Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island Executive Director Meghan Grady. “Sponsorship of the cultural cafés is especially meaningful to us as we work to increase our clients’ access to foods and socialization opportunities representative of their cultures.”
Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island has been operating its Capital City Café Program since the 1990s.The organization launched its café dedicated to serving members of the Latinx community in early 2023, in partnership with Progreso Latino and catering partner 765 Lounge & Restaurant. The café dedicated to the Southeast Asian community was launched this past June, in partnership with the Center for Southeast Asians and catering partner VP Meals.
This initiative is part of CCA Health Rhode Island’s overarching commitment to support organizations that address food insecurity in the state. In addition to its partnership with Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, CCA Health Rhode Island has provided funding in support of the Rhode Island Public Health Institute’s Food on the Move Program, which brings mobile produce markets to underserved communities across Rhode Island to help residents more easily access and afford fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables.
New this year, CCA Health Rhode Island also partnered with the Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a group of local chefs and restaurant owners to host a series of healthy cooking demonstrations at provider facilities and community locations across the state. These healthy cooking demos, conducted in Spanish, are designed to help improve nutrition literacy, with guidance and advice for making healthier, more affordable food choices.