Thanksgiving is typically a joyful time for many in America. A time when family and friends can gather together, show gratefulness for what they have, and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. For many of us, Thanksgiving would not be complete without a turkey, ham, or a favorite Thanksgiving dish. However, for the millions of Americans facing food insecurity across the country, the holiday season brings additional stress as families worry about how they will provide this special meal to their loved ones. Whether it be through financial instability, disability, or lack of resources, it was estimated that one in every seven adults dealt with food insecurity in 2021. The holiday season should not bring about additional worry for these families.
Although there are many programs to help combat hunger, many programs are underutilized because people are unaware of the process to get help through these programs or are unaware that they exist. With BeneLynk’s Community Lynk solution, we address food insecurity by linking members with programs such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), food banks, and community meal services that help lessen the burden of food deficiency. By utilizing findhelp’s database of over 300,000 federal, state, and local programs, our team of advocates help members get access to the assistance they need.
Providing access to healthy food is one of the most personal and impactful actions our health plans take to remove barriers to better health. During the holiday season, helping members find programs to help meet their food needs means even more. This time of year should not bring additional worry to underserved populations, which is why BeneLynk is happy to help members with their nutritional needs. From all of us here at BeneLynk, we hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and take this opportunity to reflect on and potentially serve communities in need.