About
Every Kansan should have access to healthy, affordable food, but more than 800,000 do not have access within a reasonable distance from their home. More than 30 percent of Kansas counties are considered low income and low access areas according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
For this reason, in 2017, the Kansas Health Foundation provided funding to establish the Kansas Healthy Food Initiative (KHFI), a healthy food financing initiative that supports healthy food retail projects in low-resource and underserved areas of Kansas.
KHFI projects could include the development or renovation of a grocery store, improvements to food distribution, technology or energy-efficiency upgrades, or other innovative solutions for food access points in low resource and underserved communities.
Partner Organizations
The initiative is implemented by Kansas Health Foundation, the Rural Grocery Initiative at K-State Research and Extension, NetWork Kansas, IFF, and The Food Trust. Together, they review applications, connect projects to available technical assistance resources, and evaluate the broader impact of KHFI funding.
 | The Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) is a statewide philanthropic organization with a mission to improve the health of all Kansans. The initial architect of the program, KHF provided seed funding and continues to serve as a thought leader, helping shape the program’s evolution and sustaining presence. |
 | The Rural Grocery Initiative, part of K-State Research and Extension, aims to sustain locally-owned rural grocery stores to enhance community vitality and improve access to healthy foods. It serves as the lead Food Access Organization for KHFI and conducts program outreach, provides technical assistance, and reviews the eligibility of potential KHFI projects. |
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 | IFF is a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) that provides mission-driven lending and real estate consulting services to nonprofits that serve low-income communities and people with disabilities. It supports KHFI by reviewing financials, underwriting, and disbursing funds. IFF brings innovative thinking to the KHFI partnership as the program has adapted to fulfill emerging financial needs. |
 | The Food Trust is a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food and information to make healthy decisions focused on food retail for underserved populations. It leads KHFI program evaluation through quarterly program metrics and the development of qualitative case studies. |
Advisory Board
The KHFI Advisory Board is a cross-sector group of food system stakeholders that meets three times a year to reflect on the state of food access in Kansas, explore and address barriers which limit access to healthy foods, and provide a vision and path forward to improving Kansans' access to healthy food.
Virginia Barnes, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas
Debbie Bearden, Allen County
Wayne Bell, SBA Wichita District
Tom Buller, Kansas Rural Center
Elizabeth Burger, Sunflower Foundation
Bruce Chladny, Kansas Association of Counties
Diana Endicott, Good Natured Family Farms
Brittany Grother, Kansas Department of Agriculture
Kelli Hansen, Kansas Office of Rural Prosperity
Christine Hoffman, Kansas Small Business Development Center
Justin Howard, Kansas Black Farmers Association
Brady Jansen, Associated Wholesale Grocers
Courtney Koenig, Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Haley Kottler, Kansas Appleseed
Kelli Mark, Sunflower Foundation
Donna Martin, Mid America Regional Council
Bertha Mendoza, K-State Research and Extension, EFNEP
Miranda Miller-Klugesherz, Kansas Food Action Network
Jenny Osner, Hired Man’s Grocery and Grill
Janis Simon, KSRE Tribal Food Systems
Janelle VanKooten, K-State Research and Extension, SNAP-Ed