What's Happening?
When Food is Medicine
The food is tasty and nourishing: beans and avocado with a spinach salad, chicken with green and red peppers, pork chops with greens and beets.
These are some of the dishes made by clients of Catholic Charities Food Tri-County Services’ Food Farmacy, which provides Schenectady County residents who are food-insecure and have chronic health conditions with the ingredients - fresh produce, whole grains, lean proteins, etc. - for wholesome, nutritious meals that they can make at home.
Established in 2019, the Food Farmacy is more than a food pantry.
Clients are referred by healthcare providers and meet with a registered dietitian to learn how to eat better. The idea is that food itself is a form of medicine, and that “medically tailored meals” customized for patients with severe, complex or chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension can have a positive impact on one’s physical health and mental well-being.
In 2025, The Schenectady Foundation awarded Catholic Charities Tri-County Services a $65,000 Equitable Access to Healthy Food grant to support the Food Farmacy’s operations. The grant enabled the Food Farmacy to continue serving clients while transitioning to a Medicaid-reimbursable program overseen by the New York State Department of Health. Thanks to the Foundation funding, Food Farmacy participants received three additional months of assistance, totaling 434 pantry visits and food orders.
Client testimonials attest to the transformative and empowering effects of the Food Farmacy. “It helped out a lot,” said one client. “I learned how to eat and drink better. Getting fresh fruit and vegetables fills the gap for the month. Talking to the nutritionist perked me up when I was feeling down.” Another said, “I have lost 25 pounds and am under 300 pounds. I could not have done this without what I have learned and been offered at the Food Farmacy. I have added fiber to my diet, and I’ve been juicing. I feel so much better.”
“This program is different because we provide health-enhancing foods to help people who are managing chronic health conditions, and we have a registered dietitian to support them,” said Michelle Abel, Associate Executive Director of Catholic Charities Tri-County Services, which operates the Food Farmacy out of an office building on McClellan Street in Schenectady.
