UnitedHealthcare (UHC), the principal subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group—a global healthcare and insurance company—has announced $2.5 million in grants to 10 organizations in Texas as part of a larger $11 million commitment to expand access to care and address the social determinants of health for uninsured people and underserved communities in 11 states.

The Empowering Health program grants will assist individuals and families experiencing challenges from food insecurity, social isolation, and behavioral health issues and support local health promotion and health literacy efforts. According to UHC, approximately 80 percent of what influences a person’s health relates to nonmedical issues, such as food, housing, transportation, and the financial means to pay for basic daily needs. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused additional social and economic challenges that continue to affect healthy behaviors and exacerbate health disparities.

Grant recipients in Texas include: Brighter Bites in San Antonio, which was awarded $300,000 to expand an evidence-based nutrition program serving areas with high rates of food insecurity and diet-related diseases; Grant Halliburton Foundation in Dallas/Fort Worth, which will receive $300,000 to increase access to mental health services for Spanish-speaking individuals in rural communities; North Texas Food Bank, which was awarded $300,000 to provide access to fresh, healthy food and culturally appropriate nutrition education in underserved communities through the mobile container pantry program; San Antonio Food Bank, which will receive $300,000 to provide regular delivery of fresh, healthy food in high-need areas; Texas Health Resources Foundation in Dallas/Fort Worth, which was awarded $260,000 to provide school-based resiliency training and mental health support in under-resourced schools and address food insecurity through an on-campus grocery store; National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Houston, which will receive $250,000 to provide culturally appropriate mental health services for refugee and immigrant populations; Resource Center of Dallas, which was awarded $250,000 to provide integrated mental health services and specialized clinicians trained to support the underserved LGBTQIA+ population; Houston Food Bank, which will receive $245,000 to implement a nutrition education program pairing school-based food access with sports nutrition for student athletes; El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank, which was awarded $200,000 in support of hunger relief efforts due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to implement culturally appropriate nutrition education programming; and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation in Houston and Austin, which will receive $95,000 to train mentors to teach children the importance of physical fitness, healthy nutritional habits, and well-being through the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area and SpringSpirit.

Since launching the Empowering Health program in 2018, UHC has invested more than $51 million in related grants reaching more than eight million people through partnerships with community-based organizations in 30 states and Washington, D.C. In Texas, UnitedHealth Group—its businesses, foundations, and employees—has made more than $22.7 million in contributions since 2019.

“Social and economic factors have a profound impact on achieving and maintaining good health,” said UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas CEO Don Langer. “[W]e’re working with local organizations in the state to provide Texans with an interconnected system of clinical and social services that can produce better health outcomes and make the health system work better for everyone.”

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