Giving Back to Our Communities

Fidelis Care Presents Brady Market with $5,000 Food Insecurity Grant

In observance of National Nutrition Month, Fidelis Care presented a $5,000 grant to support Brady Market’s programs to combat food insecurity in the Syracuse region. The grant is part of $315,000 in donations by Fidelis Care to nonprofit organizations on the front lines of fighting hunger across New York State. Food insecurity impacts about one in 10 New York households.

“Nutrition is healthcare,” said Fidelis Care Sales and Marketing Director Shannon Lombardo. “Fidelis Care is committed to promoting health and well-being in Syracuse and communities across New York State. That begins by partnering with organizations like Brady Market to help families and individuals gain access to healthy, nutritious foods.”

Brady Market in Syracuse, operated by not-for-profit Brady Social Enterprises, Inc., is a grocery store with retail and wholesale operations, deli and catering, job training, and wraparound support services. It was inspired by the 70-plus year history of Brady Faith Center’s engagement with generations of individuals and families in some of the community’s most impoverished neighborhoods.

“Brady Market is very grateful for this Fidelis Care grant,” said Brady Faith Center Director Kevin Frank. “We absolutely can’t do what we do without wonderful partners. For many who live in the community, Brady Market is the only place to get fresh fruits and vegetables. We plan to use the Fidelis Care funding to take the lead in collaborating with 20 neighborhood organizations to deliver meals for 220 families. One of the wonderful things about this program is that our partner organizations know who needs food support the most. It’s just one of the ways that we are more than a market in this community.”

Lombardo added, “We know that one meal is not going to solve a family’s food insecurity, but these grants give us an opportunity to connect people with agencies and organizations like Brady Market to help them find the resources they need for long-term solutions.”

Fidelis Care takes pride in supporting the vital work of Brady Market and the other food insecurity grant recipients across New York State because no one should suffer from hunger. Click here to see the full list of Fidelis Care food insecurity grant recipient organizations.

Screener Program Provides Support to Families Impacted by Social Determinants of Health

SDoH-chart

Fidelis Care’s innovative SDoH screener program was launched two years ago as a grassroots health equity initiative to address conditions in the environments where people are born, live, work, and play that affect their health, well-being, and quality of life. Social Determinants of Health can affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes – particularly among vulnerable populations and in underserved areas.

The screener enables trained Fidelis Care representatives to assess an individual’s immediate needs and challenges related to SDoH through a brief series of questions covering areas such as access to transportation, food, and secure and safe housing. More than 450,000 Fidelis Care members have participated to date.

Click here to learn more about the different Social Determinants of Health and find available resources.

Learn how Fidelis Care impacts the communities we are privileged to serve.

More News:

Fidelis Care and Literacy Inc. Announce Diversity through Literacy Campaign

6/29/2021 • Posted by Fidelis Care in Caregiver Support, Children's Health, Corporate News, Health and Wellness

Partnership to promote equity, inclusion, and importance
of early literacy through distribution of free books

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY, June 29, 2021– Fidelis Care, a health plan serving more than 2.3 million members across New York State and Literacy Inc. (LINC) are pleased to announce a new program called Diversity through Literacy, a timely initiative that will bring diverse books and stories to underserved communities across New York City. Fidelis Care and Literacy Inc. are working together to distribute children’s books that provide valuable perspectives on race, social justice, equity, and inclusion while also helping to educate families about the benefits of early literacy for child development.

Fidelis Care and Literacy Inc. launched Diversity through Literacy on June 19 highlighting Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

“LINC is thrilled to join Fidelis Care for the launch of our Diversity through Literacy program and looks forward to providing representative and age-appropriate books and programs that build community, add value, and drive change,” said Eliana Godoy, Director of Advancement, Literacy Inc. “LINC creates culturally responsive programs that build community and drive visible, measurable parent-child change. Poverty eradication and racial justice start with children’s access to quality early education regardless of their zip code,” she added. “Equity begins with early literacy.”

“Literacy and language develop in children from a very young age,” added Fidelis Care Medical Director and pediatrician Dr. Lisa Moreno. “Fidelis Care encourages all parents and caregivers to read to their children each day – especially during the first three years. Reading is critical for the health and development of a child’s language skills and speech.”

An in-person book donation will take place on July 7 at the Dyckman Houses and Marble Hill Houses in Manhattan – New York City Housing Authority locations that, combined, are home to more than 4,400 New Yorkers. Following the book donation, Literacy Inc. and Fidelis Care will present the community center at each location with an educational library of books about the importance of diversity and representation in children’s literature that will be available for everyone.

A Diversity through Literacy parent workshop will be held virtually on July 28, hosted by Literacy Inc. and Fidelis Care. The workshop will highlight the importance of reading diverse books as a way to build early literacy skills and introduce children to new cultures. Local children’s book authors Jessica Ralli and Megan Madison will also share a book they co-wrote called Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race.

Literacy Inc. will distribute 140 copies of the book across the five boroughs. Fidelis Care Representatives will be available to speak with parents and provide information on the importance of health and wellness for kids and families.

About Literacy Inc.:

For the past 25 years, LINC has worked to harness the power that exists in every community to make literacy a value and right of all children, promoting educational equity and lifelong social and health benefits. We empower families to read together and provide parents with the tools to support their children to become lifelong readers. When a child reads, a community succeeds!

For more information about LINC and our Diversity through Literature program, visit us at: www.lincnyc.org/onlineprograms or contact Virginia Taddoni, Communications Manager, LINC at vtaddoni@lincnyc.org or 212-620-5462, ext. 133.

About Fidelis Care:
Fidelis Care is a mission-driven health plan offering quality, affordable coverage for children and adults of all ages and at all stages of life. With more than 2.3 million members statewide, Fidelis Care believes that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. Follow us on Twitter at @fideliscare, Instagram at @fideliscare, and on Facebook at facebook.com/fideliscare. For more information, call Fidelis Care at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org.

Fidelis Care contact: MediaInquiries@fideliscare.org

Literacy Inc contact: vtaddoni@lincnyc.org