Advancing Community Partnerships Partnerships to Increase Food
Access in Southern Dallas

Advancing Community Partnerships to Increase Food Access in Southern Dallas is a BUILD 3.0 Challenge Awardee created to enhance Dallas County’s community-based food distribution system using a data-driven approach to improve site selection as well as client health and wellbeing.

What factors are essential for effective cross-sector alignment?

Shared Purpose

  • The mission and vision of this initiative is to advance partnerships to improve food access in Southern Dallas.
  • The coalition’s strives to embed services with various distribution partners throughout Dallas County.
  • Each partner brings different strengths including food distribution, outcome evaluation, data tracking and linkage, health promotion, health services, and serving low-income population groups.

Governance

  • Three main organizations (Crossroads Community Services, Parkland Health, and Dallas County Health and Human Services) work together.
  • Governance was still pending at the time of evaluation.

Data

  • Parkland electronic health records (EHR) and population health registry data helps guide the selection of patient populations most in need of services.
  • Crossroads’ Clientcare Longitudinal Database is used to track downstream health and healthcare impacts.
  • Shared data systems were still in process.

Finance and Sustainability

  • The coalition had initial funding of $250,000 through the BUILD Health Challenge with Parkland Health matching.
  • The collaborative is in initial phases where they are producing the output to attract further funding and resources from the community.

Integration of Health Equity

  • Establishes services targeting specific underserved zip codes based on results of the community needs assessment
  • Creates equal access through telehealth
  • Creates equal access to food

Community Trust and Accountability

  • Builds trust with clients through focus groups and patient advisory councils to solicit feedback
  • Hires people from diverse backgrounds and creating personal relationships with clients

Measures of Success

  • Services provided, community health worker students trained, referrals, and how many clients returned
  • Impact of food distribution and services on health outcomes
  • Food security

Outcomes Achieved

  • Work integrated into the community where the community is taking ownership
  • Creation of a charitable food ecosystem