A new year brings with it much excitement and goal-setting, not just for NCA as an organization, but for each of our programs. For Feeding Gluten Free specifically, we have encountered much progress and some setbacks over the past year. We are grateful to still be able to offer the core of what this program aims to provide: education for all, food access for individuals and food assistance organizations, and coordinated efforts with retailers of gluten-free food suppliers to get their products to the people who need them most.
Unfortunately, our gluten-free community is faced with what everyone else is faced with during difficult economic times, only magnified by disease burden and the higher cost of its treatment. We are already hearing from some of our more successful pantry partners that, this year, funding is being cut for their steady stream of clientele who need gluten-free and allergen-friendly food. For one pantry alone, that will exclude upwards of 200 people a month from specialized food access.
So, in looking ahead, goal-setting becomes of even more critical importance to maximize time, funding, and impact to as many people as possible. And, NCA’s advocacy work with the White House Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health will hopefully have a more long-standing impact for generations to come. Thank you all who have been able to help us take action for the most vulnerable in our gluten-free community.
