FOODiversity to highlight community-based strategies and programs that address food insecurity and dietary restrictions.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. June 18, 2025 – FOODiversity announced today that three of its research posters, developed in collaboration with multiple food allergy organizations, have been accepted for presentation at the upcoming Center for Allergy & Asthma Research’s (CFAAR) Food Allergy Summit in Chicago, IL on June 27-29. This year’s CFAAR conference will offer food allergy policy, prevention, and pediatric education tracks.
FOODiversity, a North Carolina-based nonprofit, strives to reduce barriers and improve outcomes for those who are food-insecure and struggling to obtain nutritious, safe foods from grocery stores and food pantries, due to their diagnosis of food allergies, celiac disease, or food intolerances.
During the CFAAR conference’s poster session, FOODiversity’s Wendy Gordon Pake (Executive Director and Founder) and Mackenzie Farmer (Director of Programs & Development) will report the impacts of FOODiversity’s Food Delivery Program, Early Introduction Parent Program, and disaster relief efforts.
Programs to be Presented at CFAAR
“Exploring the Impact of Customer Engagement on Food Insecurity Initiatives in Populations with Dietary Restrictions: A Case Study Continuation” Authors: Mackenzie Farmer, MPH1; Kelly Brozowski, MPH1,2; and Wendy Gordon Pake, MS1
“Increasing Awareness of Early Allergen Introduction Among Low-Income Caregivers: A Case Study of a Novel Community-Based Program in North Carolina” Authors: Mackenzie Farmer, MPH1; Kelly Brozowski, MPH1,2; Edwin Kim, MD3; Mayuran Ravindran, MD3; Donna D. Gardner, DrPH4; Wendy Gordon Pake, MS1
“Disaster Relief Through a Food Allergy Lens: Practices and Identified Needs from Hurricane Helene and the Los Angeles Wildfires Response” Authors: Mackenzie Farmer, MPH1; Lynne G. Bosma, LLMSW, C-HWC5; Moe Moyer5; Hannah Jaffee, MS5; Nicole Della Santina, MPH6; Eleanor Garrow-Holding6; Kelly Brozowski, MPH1,2; Wendy Gordon Pake, MS1
Affiliations:
1 FOODiversity, Mooresville, NC
2 University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
3 University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
4 Allergy & Asthma Network, Fairfax, VA
5 Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Arlington, VA
6 Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team, West Chester, OH
The Food Delivery Program
The Food Delivery Program delivers nutritious and allergen-friendly/gluten-free groceries to households experiencing food insecurity and also managing food allergies, celiac disease, or food intolerances. When these groceries are paired with nutrition education, autonomy, and the dignity of choice, participants report improved health, confidence in managing their dietary restriction, and treatment expansion. Through the poster presentation, Pake and Farmer will illustrate the favorable role that participant engagement has on program outcomes.
Action Taken to Resolve Gap Uncovered in CFAAR’s 2024 Summit: The Early Introduction Parent Program
In 2024, many CFAAR conference discussions revolved around the slow dissemination of infant feeding education as it pertains to food allergy prevention. In response, FOODiversity created the Early Introduction Parent Program (EIPP), with the first EIPP cohort currently underway in Iredell County, NC. The focus of the EIPP is to raise awareness and improve knowledge of early allergen introduction among parents and caregivers, particularly those with limited resources who lack access to routine preventative healthcare.
Pake shared the following about the need to ensure all parents and caregivers receive early allergen introduction information, “Even though the current guidelines on early allergen introduction were published by the NIAID in 2017 and adopted by the USDA in 2020, research shows persistent confusion and misinformation among parents and caregivers, leading to noncompliance. FOODiversity’s programs have always focused on ensuring that overlooked populations receive equitable access to food allergy resources. The Early Introduction Parent Program continues this work by providing every parent and caregiver with tools to possibly prevent food allergies in their child.”
Disaster Preparedness & Response
When Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, FOODiversity immediately launched disaster relief efforts to ensure impacted households with dietary restrictions had access to allergen-friendly and gluten-free foods. Through partnerships with the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT), FOODiversity distributed safe foods to in-need households in Western NC. Pake and Farmer plan to share this impact and the need for additional safeguards during disaster response for those with dietary restrictions.
June 2025 CFAAR Conference Prospects
About the upcoming event, Farmer anticipates additional collaborations, “CFAAR’s Food Allergy Summit provides an invaluable opportunity for nonprofits, researchers, physicians, and organizations to gather under one roof and share their knowledge. FOODiversity looks forward to highlighting our programs as feasible and scalable models for systemic change.”
To learn more about FOODiversity and its programs, visit www.foodiversity.org.
About FOODiversity
Founded in 2020, FOODiversity is headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, and serves clients across the U.S. The 501(c) (3) nonprofit was established to lessen the burden of food insecurity for individuals and families with food allergy, celiac disease, or other food intolerances. The FOODiversity mission is to prevent hunger, medical emergencies, and hospitalizations by raising awareness, providing educational support, and increasing access.
About The Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research
The Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research, part of the Institute for Public Health and Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, finds answers and shapes policies surrounding food allergy, asthma and other allergic conditions.
