Increase access to healthy food and physical activity.
Strategies:
Promote free and low-cost community wellness and fitness classes through targeted communications, partnerships with local organizations, and the utilization of public spaces.
Overview of Progress Made
- Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and other partnering agencies are planning promotions, events, and webinars spotlighting Maryland pedestrian safety, health, and commuting options for the October Walktober observance.
Key Initiatives
- Walktober: A Maryland observance in October to promote pedestrian safety and walking programs and Initiatives.
Engage communities in enhancing the safety and accessibility of community spaces through improvements to the built environment.
Embrace a food-is-medicine approach by developing policies that support access to healthy food, home-delivered meals, and medically-tailored meals through cross-sector collaboration.
Overview of Progress Made
- MDOA developed a Nutrition Security Policy Statement to guide internal programming and collaborative planning to support access to healthy food among older adults and caregivers. The policy will be utilized to support MDOA efforts to modernize aging services network programming and effectively partner with MDH on a wider Food is Medicine Initiative.
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The Maryland Department of Health included Food is Medicine as a primary component to the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program and is in discussion with several state agencies on ways to collaborate in 2026.
Key Initiatives
- MDOA Nutrition Services: Provides leadership for nutrition programs serving healthy meals or supplemental food to older adults throughout the state.
- The Rural Health Transformation Program Proposal: Addresses three areas of transformation to strengthen and improve the health and well-being of our rural residents.
Screen for and cross-promote food assistance programs, including SNAP, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, The Emergency Food Assistance Program, Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and locally-operated programs.
Overview of Progress Made
- In October 2025 the Federal Commodities Supplemental Food Program was successfully transferred from MDOA to the Department of Human Services to better align the program with the Emergency Food Program, Maryland Emergency Food Assistance, and other programs to improve efficiency and cross-promote available resources.
Key Initiatives
- DHS Office of Community Grants: Contracts with emergency food providers throughout the State to distribute funds and commodities to meet the needs of hungry Marylanders.
Outcomes:
Short-Term (1-3 years)
- Cross-promote food assistance programs
- Promote community-driven infrastructure, wellness, and fitness programs
Mid-Term (4-6 Years)
- Implement a multisector food-is-medicine program
- Reduce malnutrition, and increase access to culturally appropriate and medically tailored meals