Gilead Foundation Commits Over $3 Million to Address Food Insecurity
– Commitment Extends Support to Rising Need in California, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. –
Gilead Foundation today announced that it has committed over $3 million in grants to expand access to food in communities across the United States. Gilead Foundation Healing Hunger awards will enable 14 regionally focused organizations to meet the unique needs of their communities by improving long-term nutrition access. The funding, distributed through the Gilead Foundation, supports organizations addressing food insecurity in California, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
The funding focuses on reducing barriers to fresh food in vulnerable communities where food insecurity rates remain highest. Funding supports innovative food sourcing and distribution models, and integrated services to connect families with nutrition education, workforce training, and benefits enrollment.
"There is a deep connection between food security and health," said Shreya Jani, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Gilead Sciences and Board Member, Gilead Foundation. "Food insecurity is linked to a wide range of health risks, including chronic conditions, infectious diseases, and other serious illnesses. Through Gilead Foundation Healing Hunger, we are partnering with organizations that provide education, infrastructure, training and more to make a real impact and improve health outcomes."
Food insecurity is closely tied to poorer health outcomes, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and depression, as well as developmental delays and long-term health issues for children. The Gilead Foundation grants will be used to pilot and scale solutions including mobile pantries, produce recovery efforts, urban farming initiatives, and school-centered distribution programs, with the goal to strengthen local food systems and improve food stability for families.
"The California Association of Food Banks, in partnership with the five Bay Area food banks, is grateful for the Gilead Foundation's investment in our collaborative sourcing model," said Stacia Hill Levenfeld, Chief Executive Officer, California Association of Food Banks. "This funding will expand access to culturally relevant food, strengthen local food systems, and improve long-term community health."
Key Facts:
- USDA data shows that adults in very low food-secure households experience substantially higher rates of chronic conditions, including hypertension (36.4% vs. 29.1%) and diabetes (9.6% vs. 4.3%).
- Additional USDA analysis from 2019–22 found that the predicted prevalence of key chronic diseases was 1.9 to 9.5 percentage points higher among adults in very low food-secure households compared with those in high food-secure households.
- Children living in food-insecure households face significantly worse health outcomes, including higher rates of asthma and depressive symptoms, nearly double the likelihood of emergency department visits, and a 179% increase in forgone medical care, underscoring the urgent need to address food insecurity as a public health priority.
Grant recipients include:
- California Association of Food Banks Bay Area Collaborative – including the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, Alameda County Community Food Bank, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, and Redwood Empire Food Bank – to scale an equity-driven sourcing model that distributes 1.2 million pounds of culturally relevant produce while lowering food bank costs and supporting minority-owned farms.
- Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to support a year-round mobile pantry program delivering 2.5 million pounds of food to communities across Los Angeles County.
- Social Justice Learning Institute to distribute 850,000 pounds of fresh produce while expanding community-led education and urban farming efforts in Inglewood, CA.
- Food Forward to aid a produce recovery program that redirects 833,000 pounds of fresh food and reduces waste and emissions in Southern California.
- Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina to support the distribution of 17 million pounds of food through 600 partner agencies.
- Community Food Bank of New Jersey to deliver 2.28 million pounds of food to children while expanding workforce training and benefits enrollment programs.
- Interfaith Food Pantry Network to support 2.3 million pounds of year-round food distribution and food recovery efforts for families in Morris County, NJ.
- Capital Area Food Bank to expand Mobile Market sites in Washington, DC and to provide more than 1.2 million pounds of food through 170 schools.
- Maryland Food Bank to support school pantries that deliver 2.4 million pounds of food through 170 schools.
The Gilead Foundation's investment in Gilead Foundation Healing Hunger is part of its broader commitment to supporting communities where Gilead employees live and work. In 2024, the Foundation contributed $21.5 million to organizations committed to advance programs that promote education, health equity, and community resilience.
About the Gilead Foundation
The Gilead Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works to create a thriving health ecosystem. The Gilead Foundation takes a holistic approach to mitigate the root causes of health inequities by providing resources to organizations that empower people with the skills to be their own best advocate and create systems of support that strengthen communities, classrooms and workplaces.
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, cancer and inflammation. In 2025, Gilead announced a planned $32 billion investment to further strengthen its U.S. footprint to power the next era of discovery, job creation and public health preparedness – while continuing to invest globally to ensure patients everywhere benefit from its scientific innovation. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, Calif.
Gilead and the Gilead logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.
For more information about Gilead, please visit the company's website at www.gilead.com, follow Gilead on X/Twitter (@Gilead Sciences) and LinkedIn (@Gilead-Sciences).
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Samantha Stokes-Granberry, Media
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