About Us
Our Mission
Food Equality Initiative fights for nutrition security and health equity for all.
Our Vision
A world where every person has access to the food needed to thrive regardless of economic status.
Our Objective
Increase access to nourishing food as medicine for those facing food insecurity.
Food Equality Initiative fights for nutrition security and health equity by increasing access to nourishing food as medicine for those at the intersection of food insecurity and a diet-treated condition in three main ways.
First, improving access to nourishing food through its Food Is Medicine Access Program (FIMAP) through a direct-to-door delivery model.
Secondly, educational resources fortify understanding of leading a healthy life and inform the general public about the challenges that exist for traditionally underrepresented groups to access food as medicine.
Finally, by advocating for traditionally under-represented populations in healthcare by supporting projects and legislation that expand health equity and drive systematic change for those that are food insecure.
Food Equality Initiative (FEI) addresses barriers built into the American healthcare system that prevent people from living their healthiest lives. Since inception in 2014, FEI has enjoined tackling food insecurity with the food is medicine movement, or the belief that food plays a role in sustaining health, preventing disease, and as a therapy for those with conditions responsive to changes in diet. This belief is twofold. First, food is an important tool used to address medical conditions such as food allergies, celiac disease, diabetes, and other cardiometabolic diseases. Secondly, food can also prevent illness and improve overall health by regularly consuming nutritious food (nutrition security). Since inception, more than 400 households have been nourished by FEI and permitted access to health and the dignity of choice. Food Equality Initiative is a registered 501(c)(3).
FEI Briefs
Our 3 Pillars
Access
Subsidized direct-to-door grocery delivery service
Kansas City area
Foods catered to different dietary needs
Education
Free-From Podcast
Free-From Blogazine
Webinars
Recipes
Newsletters
Advocacy
Support research projects
Lobby for legislative and institutional change
Advocate for traditionally under-represented populations
You can feed a family who needs
food as their medicine.
Food Equality Initiative News
Meet the Team
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Erin Martinez
CEO
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Christie Carter
Marketing & Development Director
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Meredith Mershon
Grants Director
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Crysta Green
Executive Assistant
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Marti Bodenhamer
Community Engagement Specialist
Board of Directors
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Leigh Wagner, PhD
Board President
Private Practice RD -
Bo Govea
Board Member
Lockton -
Mari Marroquin
Board Member
Kansas City Automotive Museum -
Nancy Venneman
Board Member
Innovative Captive Strategies -
Stann Tate
Board Member Menorah Medical Center
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Brittany Duncan
Board Member
Dairy Farmers of America -
Kris Troy
Board Member
Owens & Minor -
Michael Jensen
Board Member
Grant Capital -
Mandy Owen
Board Member
HSI
Want to make a huge impact in the lives of those experiencing food insecurity? Join our Board.
Our Founding History
Emily Brown's lifestyle abruptly changed when her two young children were diagnosed with severe food allergies.
She went from carefree grocery shopping to reading every ingredient label on every food product she planned to purchase. She had to quit her day job to care for her daughters, since the daycare could not adequately provide safe, reliable services for their food allergies. This caused her financial standing to rapidly decline, and she found herself needing to enroll in federal assistance programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in order to feed her family of four.
In 2014, Emily decided to take matters into her own hands and founded Food Equality Initiative (FEI) to help families like hers gain access to free-from food.
FEI started the first food pantry in the United States specifically stocked with foods required to maintain a Top-8 allergen-free and/or celiac diet.
Since then, FEI has pivoted from the food pantry model to subsidizing a direct-to-door delivery service specifically for free-from foods, to further increase access and preserve the dignity of those needing assistance.
With the leadership of Erin Martinez, current CEO, Food Equality Initiative embraces the food is medicine movement, advocating for increased access to nutritious foods to improve the health of everyone, especially those with any diet-treated illness or condition. FEI also invests in spreading knowledge about the importance of nutrition security. Our goal is to find ways to best serve traditionally under-represented populations in healthcare, particularly along the lines of race and income – towards a greater state of health equity.
Our Impact
As we strive to make an impact on feeding the hungry, we are also making significant strides in increasing knowledge and raising awareness about food and nutrition insecurity in those with diet-treated illnesses.
Our 990s
FEI is proud to be named an inaugural United Way Impact 100 organization.