The American Cancer Society’s Addressing Barriers to Care (ABC) grant program recently awarded more than $500,000 to fund 13 community organizations providing services that address food security and nutrition. ACS launched the Addressing Barriers to Care grant program in 2024 to complement its existing programs and grants focused on removing treatment barriers connected to transportation and lodging. This new cohort builds on the success of a 2024 pilot, which underscored the critical need to address food security and nutrition as key factors in improving cancer outcomes. By concentrating specifically on this pivotal social determinant of health, we are poised to create a meaningful and lasting impact within the community.
According to a January 2024 ACS CAN Survivor Views Survey, 40% of cancer patients and survivors experience some degree of food or nutrition insecurity, and according to American Cancer Society researchers, these hardships are associated with delays in treatment, greater distress, financial toxicity, and a higher risk of relapse and death.
The 2025 Addressing Barriers to Care grantees include:
- AMOR Healing Kitchen – Charleston, SC
- Coalition for Food and Health Equity – Jersey City, NJ
- Ellie Fund – Needham, MA
- Food & Friends – Washington, DC
- Food Outreach – St. Louis, MO
- God's Love We Deliver, Inc. – New York, NY
- Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance – Philadelphia, PA
- Moveable Feast, Inc. – Baltimore, MD
- Pink Ribbon Good, Inc. – Dayton, OH
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana – New Orleans, LA
- The Ceres Community Project – Sebastopol, CA
- The Heimerdinger Foundation – Nashville, TN
- Vital Access Care Foundation – Fountain Valley, CA
The program’s grant cycle is 12 months long and runs from April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026.
