Affinia Healthcare and The Haven of Grace are cooking up a new partnership to help pregnant and unhoused women in the St. Louis area.

The nonprofits have entered a partnership to provide monthly cooking and nutrition sessions to current residents of The Haven of Grace, an organization that provides support to pregnant and unhoused women. The Affinia Healthcare WIC nutritionists will provide the food and other cooking supplies, as well as lead the sessions. The Haven of Grace will select participants and provide the facilities for the sessions. The partnership will run through June 2025.

“We’re helping our moms learn an important life skill — cooking healthy foods for the entire family,” said Affinia Healthcare WIC Director Kristen Gore. “In our field, we hear it all the time — moms want to make sure that their families eat healthier but may need additional resources and support to make it happen.”

     In addition to cooking demonstrations, this will be an opportunity for the participants to meet and speak with a Registered Dietitian about nutritional concerns. Breastfeeding support will also be offered through the breastfeeding peer counselors. Program leaders hope the support and education will lead to families choosing and preparation of more healthy and nutritious meals to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

“We are introducing produce that is not always easily available in our community, and teaching moms how to prepare them in a healthy and flavorful way,” Gore added. “Food deserts and food insecurity are a huge concern in our service areas. This partnership is just another way that Affinia Healthcare is helping to close the gap and helping patients overcome these barriers.”

This partnership is also an example of Affinia Healthcare’s initiatives to incorporate the ‘Food is Medicine’ philosophy as part of a holistic approach to healthcare.

Affinia Healthcare has several food security initiatives and partnerships. The community health center has partnerships with the St. Louis Area Foodbank where it distributes free food to the public at its South Broadway and Biddle Street locations monthly. Affinia Healthcare also sponsors stops for the St. Louis MetroMarket at the S. Broadway, Biddle and new Ferguson location. The St. Louis MetroMarket brings fresh produce and select groceries to communities considered food deserts.