Oakland – – September 28, 2026 -- Blue Shield of California has pledged a $300,000 multi-year investment to Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB), marking the first deployment under the nonprofit insurer's new statewide Food as Health initiative.
Blue Shield becomes the first and largest corporate sponsor of ACCFB's Food as Medicine program
The funding will expand a program that delivers medically supportive food and nutrition education to eligible Medi-Cal members managing chronic conditions. The investment strengthens infrastructure, data collection, and evaluation systems needed to scale the model beyond its current reach.
Program participation has grown 20-fold since 2024, from 20 to more than 400 people annually
ACCFB became the first food bank in California to leverage funding from California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) to provide medically supportive food to eligible members. The program originated as a diabetes prevention pilot before expanding to serve people with broader chronic conditions.
Participants receive 12 weeks of home-delivered food — including fresh produce, proteins, and pantry staples — paired with nutrition education, designed to complement traditional medical treatment for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.
ACCFB investment is first of seven planned under Blue Shield's statewide initiative
Additional investments supporting food-security organizations across California will be announced in the coming months, according to Blue Shield. Mike Stuart, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California, said access to healthy food can help prevent and manage chronic disease while supporting long-term healthcare affordability.
The announcement was made at ACCFB's Oakland facility, where Blue Shield employees assembled Food as Medicine boxes and welcome kits during a volunteer event attended by leaders from both organizations and program participants.
ACCFB executive director frames investment as model for reshaping chronic disease care
Regi Young, executive director of Alameda County Community Food Bank, said the Blue Shield investment will expand the existing model and could serve as a catalyst for other partners to adopt similar food-as-medicine approaches.