Title:                         Grove Hall’s Healthy Food Program: Scaling Food as Medicine

Subject Area:        Health

Region:                   Boston, Massachusetts

Industry:                 Nonprofit organization

Company:               Greater Grove Hall Main Street

In Boston’s Grove Hall neighborhood, residents face disproportionately high rates of chronic illness due to food insecurity, particularly Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Greater Grove Hall Main Street (GGHMS), led by Executive Director Ed Gaskin, launched the Healthy Food Program in partnership with Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center and Stop & Shop to combat this crisis. Patients receive monthly grocery stipends, nutrition coaching, and culturally relevant education through this innovative “food as medicine” approach.

But how can this successful pilot scale to support other high-risk groups like pregnant women with hypertension and eventually expand across Boston’s 22 health centers?

During the BE-EDGE Consult-a-thon, four participants: Jack J., Eldar K., Lin Z., PhD, and Philip B. partnered with Greater Grove Hall Main Street to answer exactly that. They were mentored by Kevin T. , Program Manager at the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics and Harvard MPP, whose insights into urban policy and community development enriched the team’s strategic thinking.

Their contributions included:

• A strategic assessment of the program’s potential to expand to maternal health
• Operational recommendations for digital access, multilingual support, and cultural adaptation
• A refined business model to increase program redemption rates and build strategic partnerships
• A competitive and regulatory analysis of similar programs across the U.S. to inform long-term growth

By combining public health insights with strategy and process refinement, the team delivered an adaptable plan that supports health equity at the neighborhood level and beyond.

This project demonstrates how nonprofit innovation, when paired with cross-sector consulting talent and experienced mentorship, can reshape public health, one grocery cart at a time.