Assessing a Community Partnership Addressing Food Security Among Older Adults During COVID-19.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community Partnerships
• Food Security

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted food access for vulnerable older adults.
• In response, Hawai'i established the Kūpuna Food Security Coalition (KFSC) in March 2020.
• The KFSC aimed to address emergency food needs using local and federal funding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the formation and success of the KFSC in addressing the pandemic-related food security crisis.
• To evaluate the coalition's functioning using the Collective Impact (CI) framework.
• To provide evidence-based guidance for establishing similar multi-sector partnerships for elder food response.

Main Methods:

• A case study approach was employed, analyzing data from interviews, learning circles, surveys, and program documents.
• Coalition functioning was assessed against the five conditions of the Collective Impact framework: common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support.
• Quantitative data on meal provision and senior reach were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Between March and December 2020, the KFSC coordinated 46 organizations, delivering approximately 1.2 million meals to 8300 vulnerable seniors in Honolulu County.
• Within 9 months, the coalition demonstrated advanced maturity in its measurement system and common agenda, with moderate maturity in other CI conditions.
• The KFSC successfully increased food access and later pivoted to promote senior vaccinations, showcasing adaptability.

Conclusions:

• The KFSC effectively mobilized multi-stakeholder efforts to address an emergency food security crisis for older adults.
• Structured coalition approaches, guided by the CI framework, are effective for coordinating community responses during crises.
• The study provides a model for developing public/non-profit partnerships to enhance food security and address other critical needs of vulnerable older adults.