For a new mother still recovering from childbirth, an older adult managing a chronic illness, or an at-risk family already stretched thin, something as basic as getting groceries in the door can become a daunting obstacle standing between them and good health. A trip to the store isn’t always simple, or even possible, and when food insecurity and health challenges collide, the people who are most in need of support are often the ones with the least capacity to go out and get it.

That’s the gap JCCGCI’s newest program is built to close. Social Care Network: Healthy Homes connects eligible New Yorkers with free groceries, meals, cookware, and appliances, delivered right to their door. Our team handles the eligibility screening and the delivery, so participants can focus on what matters most: staying healthy at home, at no cost to them.

For decades, JCCGCI has worked from the belief that health isn’t just about what happens in a doctor’s office. It’s shaped by whether someone has enough to eat, whether they can get to a follow-up appointment, whether they have support during a hard stretch. SCN Healthy Homes puts that belief into practice in one of the most direct ways we can: making sure food, and the basic tools to prepare and enjoy it, are never the thing standing between a family and their health.

Chief Operating Officer Esther Gottlieb, who is spearheading JCCGCI’s Social Care Network Healthy Homes program, has seen firsthand how many families are quietly going underserved. “The need is bigger than people realize, and it doesn’t discriminate,” she says. “Our goal with this program is simple: to meet that need wherever it shows up, and make sure no one has to face it alone.” 

The program is designed for New Yorkers facing some of life’s most demanding chapters. Eligible participants include high-risk youth, Health Home members, those managing a chronic condition, postpartum or pregnant individuals, and households with a baby under one year old. Many of these households are already juggling multiple appointments, providers, and responsibilities, and nutritious food is often the piece that falls through the cracks first. If any of these circumstances sound familiar, whether for yourself or someone you love, our team is ready to help you find out what you may qualify for and get you better access to the resources behind nutrition. These are moments when stability at home can make all the difference, and our goal is to make sure a lack of access to food is never what stands in the way.

Once enrolled, participants can receive free groceries, meals, cookware, and appliances, all delivered directly to their home. Meals are designed around real health needs, with three fresh, nourishing meals a day arriving right at the door. For participants who cook for themselves, grocery boxes are available so that there’s always food in the house without the stress or physical demand of shopping. For households that need it, we also provide basic cookware and small appliances, so families have what they need to store, prepare, and enjoy the food we deliver. If you are a client that keeps Kosher, we always have options that meet CRC kosher certification standards, and because good nutrition often comes with questions, nutritional counseling is available to participants at no extra cost.

“Good nutrition should never feel like an afterthought,” says Samantha Bassler, who also helps lead the program. “We want every family to know that what shows up at their door is fresh, wholesome, and something they can actually look forward to.”

Getting started is simpler than you may imagine. It begins with a free assessment to determine what a household is eligible for, whether that’s due to a health challenge, a pregnancy, or another qualifying circumstance, and most families complete the entire screening and eligibility process in under 30 minutes on a single phone call. From there, our team reviews the household’s information, matches them to the services that fit their needs, and confirms delivery details. Once enrolled, balanced meals will come right to the door, so nourishing food and healthy living become part of everyday life rather than an occasional effort.

SCN Healthy Homes isn’t a one-time delivery. Once a household is enrolled, groceries and meals arrive on a regular basis for as long as that support is needed, giving families one less thing to plan for during an already difficult time. The program currently serves eligible households in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, and it’s just one entry point into the full range of support JCCGCI offers. Participants may also be connected to other JCCGCI programs and services, from Mental Health Services and Older Adult Case Management to our Urban Neighborhood Services Multi-Service Center and Healthy Families program. One phone call can open the door to the full breadth of resources JCCGCI has built across more than five decades of serving our community.

This is what JCCGCI has always tried to do: meet people during life’s hardest moments with practical, dependable support, delivered with care. With SCN Healthy Homes, we’re carrying that same commitment forward, one family, one meal, and one healthier home at a time.

👉 Think you or someone you love may qualify? Visit JCCGCI.ORG/SCN to learn more about the program and how to request a free screening.