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DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – Aetna Better Health of Illinois, a CVS Health company, has provided over $235,000 to support urban farming in the greater Chicago area.
The health plan has supported several organizations in Chicago and the suburbs to bring healthy food options to neighborhoods that do not have easy access to fresh foods. The organizations supported include:
- Chicago Center for Arts and Technology
- Connections for the Homeless
- Eat to Live Urban Farm
- Free Will Good Hope Church
- Growing Home
- Hydroponic Venture Project
- Larkin Village
- Legends South
- The Farm on Ogden
- Vera Yates Community Garden at Vera Yates Homes
“Access to nutritious foods is key to maintaining one’s health and aligns with our objective to improve overall health of our communities,” said Rushil Desai, CEO, Aetna Better Health of Illinois. “We invest in urban farms that provide locally grown produce to communities with less access to grocery stores and produce markets. Additionally, these farms provide employment training opportunities for people to work on the farm and develop valuable job skills.”
The partnership with Aetna Better Health of Illinois supports Windy City Harvest’s mission to provide health, food and jobs to North Lawndale and surrounding communities.
“Through the Farm on Ogden, the headquarters of Windy City Harvest, Aetna’s funding allows us to purchase seeds and live plants, helping Windy City Harvest accomplish two key things: grow, harvest, and distribute produce to the North Lawndale community; and provide hands-on training to workforce development participants across various farm sites in Chicago,” said Paul Krysik, director of strategic initiatives at Windy City Harvest.
Aetna Better Health of Illinois continues to support various organizations across the state who assist Medicaid members with access to healthy food, job development, housing support, maternal and child health and access to care.
Aetna Better Health of Illinois offers access to quality, affordable health care to individuals through the state’s HealthChoice Illinois Medicaid program. The health plan serves over 420,000 members in 102 counties. For more information about Aetna Better Health® of Illinois, visit our website, www.aetnabetterhealth.com/illinois-medicaid.
