Securing Safe Food Corp.

SSF seeks to reduce food insecurity among households that must avoid common food allergens. To that end, we work to increase the number of U.S. food pantries accommodating those with food allergies, celiac disease, or other medically required diets.

The accessibility of allergen-free foods is key to our mission—we envision a food pantry system that offers healthful, allergen-safe options (i.e. access) and an inclusive experience (accessibility) for any individual with allergy or medical food needs to visit a local program, easily receive useful items, and feel understood.

By partnering with allergen-friendly food manufacturers, we facilitate delivery of allergen-free foods to our partner food pantries across the United States. SSF acts as a key intermediary, connecting impact-driven food brands to nutrition programs in which allergen-free donations are distributed to clients who medically require them. Our student volunteers prioritize collection of demographic and allergy data to ensure we match donations with the most appropriate pantry populations, and we operate on a system of clear communication from shipment to delivery. Public health research, education, and community action form the core of our food pantry and outreach programs.

Our student leadership brings an ambitious group of changemakers to the crossroads of food allergy, medical food needs, and food insecurity. Beyond SSF, our team members have published in allergy and immunology, met with members of Congress to discuss food allergy legislation, and networked with food allergy leaders, entrepreneurs, and nutrition professionals. Our ability to advocate and successfully partner with 100+ food manufacturers, medical practices, and nutrition programs has enabled us to extend our impact despite supply-chain and fundraising challenges.

In the past three years, we have collectively distributed over 26,750 pounds of allergen-friendly foods to 40+ food pantries in 11 U.S. states. This amount equates to over 99,400 individual allergen-free food items, including bread, nut-free seed butters, dairy alternatives, breakfast mixes, granola, and single-serve snacks. Today we consistently partner with nearly 30 food pantries in 8 states.

Our food output was at its height in 2020-2021, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, we witnessed high engagement from allergen-friendly manufacturers, eager to contribute excess inventory and support food-insecure families given the emergent food situation created by the pandemic. While supply-chain issues in 2021 prevented us from reaching prior food distribution levels, we focused on developing longterm relationships with key allergen-friendly industry brands through our Partner Program, in which manufacturers provide our partner food pantries with recurring shipments of allergen-free foods. Total pounds of Partner Program food distribution increased by 23.5% from our 2020-2021 to 2021-2022 fiscal year.

A recent priority is making allergen-avoidant individuals aware of our pantry network, including those who may not find our website. In summer 2022, we launched our medical referral program with Stanford University’s Sean N. Parker Center and Kansas City Children’s Mercy Hospital. These centers refer under-resourced patients to local SSF pantries and offer instructions on how patients may sign up with SSF to receive notifications when new allergen-friendly foods are available.

As we expand, we aim to provide more consistent and nutritionally balanced food shipments across our pantry network. Our goal is to offer standardized allergen-free package options, to be ordered by pantries on a recurring basis. Additional developments include expansion of our programs, technology to track pantry stock and distribution of SSF-provided foods, and the creation of grassroots chapters to raise awareness, fundraise, and increase local food accessibility.