Beginning this month, Takeda , a leading values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company, will fund 273,000 medically tailored meals for Open Hand clients over the next three years. Open Hand is the largest community-based provider of medically tailored meals in the Southeast, cooking, and packaging 5,000 meals per day, and recently celebrated the delivery of its 35 millionth meal to neighbors in need.
Takeda’s gift will support medically tailored meals for socially vulnerable individuals who don’t qualify for Open Hand services through other funding sources.
“Achieving better health outcomes requires a multi-faceted approach and a more holistic view of health and well-being,” said Amy Atwood, Vice President of Communications and Philanthropy for Takeda’s U.S. Business Unit and U.S. Region. “Our partnership with Open Hand aligns perfectly with one of our philanthropic focus areas: Food is Health. Open Hand’s approach to reducing food and nutrition insecurity is instrumental in helping to lower healthcare costs and improve quality of health for those with chronic disease.”
Open Hand’s programs seek to improve the overall health and well-being of socially vulnerable populations, vastly reducing rates of food and nutrition insecurity. In addition, the organization seeks to lower healthcare costs by decreasing healthcare utilization and reducing or managing nutrition sensitive chronic disease. Open Hand’s clients report that their medically tailored meals help improve blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. In addition, over half of clients report a decrease in inpatient hospitalizations and fewer visits to the emergency room.
“This generous grant from Takeda will help us provide 350 people with meals for a full year, which undoubtedly will have a significant impact on their overall health... because Food is Medicine."
- Matthew Pieper, Open Hand Executive Director
We are deeply grateful to hit the ground running with this partnership and support so many neighbors in need of our services. Thank you, Takeda!
