At the Unity House food pantry, Mike Maloney and his staff typically serve individuals in need with boxes of food every 30 days. With food insecurity increasing during the pandemic, people have been able to utilize the pantry as much as once a week.

“We’ve had a real surge in first-time pantry users,” said Maloney, assistant director of community resources at the Unity House.

Even though the need is greater, the goal of providing healthy food remains. Maloney is putting together a box for someone with hypertension. So, he’s focusing on food with low sodium.

“We’re trying to include for this person as much nutrient-dense food as we possibly can, as much produce as we can,” Maloney said.

About a year ago, The Food Pantries for the Capital District and its partners collaborated with local health care organizations to launch Food as Medicine. Its goal is to help those dealing with food insecurity and chronic health conditions.

“In general, it can be challenging because we need more than just produce. We need whole grains, lean meats and dairy in order to have a balanced diet,” said Natasha Pernicka, the executive director of The Food Pantries for the Capital District.

Using a referral system, she says this ensures those using pantries are getting the proper food for their health. Currently, there are more than 300 participants in the program.

“We also have a nutrition education component of the program so that people learn how to eat healthy and how they can make choices in their own life,” Pernicka said.

The medically tailored service will bring food to individuals weekly at no charge. Right now, about 20 community-based food assistance programs are participating in Food as Medicine, including the Unity House.

“We’ve been doing the best we can to provide that,” Maloney said.