301 Integrating food access to advance community engagement: UF HealthStreet’s food pantry model

Objectives/Goals: To evaluate how establishing a food pantry through partnerships with Bread of the Mighty and Feeding Northeast Florida influenced community engagement at UF HealthStreet between 2023 and 2025. Methods/Study Population: UF HealthStreet, a community engagement program, became part of the Healthy Pantry network through partnerships with Bread of the Mighty and Feeding Northeast Florida. 14,678 people are part of the UF HealthStreet registry and 47% self-reported experiencing food insecurity. To evaluate impact, engagement data from two 12-month periods were compared: June 1, 2023–May 31, 2024 (pre-food pantry) and June 1, 2024–May 31, 2025 (food pantry year). Metrics included HNAs, referrals, and visits analyzed to assess engagement changes. Results/Anticipated Results: Community engagement increased from 2,705 visits (pre-pantry) to 7,726 (post-pantry), including 4,243 connected through pantry visits. The number of people visiting UF HealthStreet rose from 1,210 (pre-pantry) to 2,286 (post-pantry), demonstrating broader community reach. Average monthly HNAs rose from 35 to 52 (~1.5x increase). Referrals grew slightly from 2,093 to 2,129, reflecting sustained service linkages amid expanded participation. Becoming a Healthy Pantry site strengthened UF HealthStreet’s capacity to address food insecurity and reduce health disparities. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Food bank partnerships expanded UF HealthStreet’s reach and strengthened community trust. More visits and return participants reflect deeper engagement. Integrating food access into health outreach advances translational science and helps address health disparities.