Molina Healthcare of New York Donates $10,000 to Support Youth Food and Gardening Initiatives
Ben Jackey, Ben.Jackey@molinahealthcare.com, (502) 377-9484
NEWBURGH, N.Y., April 29, 2026 – Molina Healthcare of New York (“Molina”), in collaboration with the Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation (“MolinaCares”), announced a $10,000 donation to Land to Learn in support of programs focusing on nutritional and environmental education. The goal of the initiatives is to build healthy eating habits, improve social-emotional well-being, and grow real-world skills.
The grant will fund three programs:
SproudEd – Land to Learn maintains four school gardens in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District while delivering monthly, curriculum-aligned lessons that cover gardening, nutrition, environmental science, and cooking. The hands-on experience allows students to eat what they grow and explore ecosystems.
Radicle Roots – This program provides summer employment to Newburgh youth who help maintain school gardens and lead educational activities for younger kids. Teen apprentices gain leadership experience, work-readiness skills, and a deeper connection to their environment and community.
Family Table – These family-centered workshops encourage caregivers and kids to cook together, learn together, and build healthy eating habits. Land to Learn educators lead interactive workshops with food preparation activities, share simple and nutritious recipes, and provide culturally responsive nutrition education.
“We are deeply grateful to Molina and the Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation for supporting Land to Learn’s hands-on, garden-based learning opportunities for young people in our communities,” said Nicole Porto, executive director of Land to Learn. “As participants in our SproutEd program, thousands of Newburgh, Beacon, and Kingston youth build meaningful connections to food, land, and one another. Molina’s investment in this program and our family cooking workshops strengthens our mission to nourish health, ecological awareness, and collective well-being.”
Land to Learn’s programs help address many health factors including childhood obesity. In New York, 17.8% of youth, ages 6-17, are obese, ranking the state 13th highest in the country.
“Closing wellness gaps begins with early interventions and Molina is proud to support the Land to Learn’s approach to instilling healthy habits at a young age,” said Ryan Fogarty, plan president for Molina Healthcare of New York. “By creating educational and social connections to nutrition, these programs create sustainable health outcomes.”
About Molina Healthcare of New York
Molina Healthcare of New York, Inc. provides government-funded, quality health care, serving members through Medicaid, Child Health Plus (CHP), Health & Recovery Plan (HARP), and the Essential Plan in New York. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, provides managed health care services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs, and through state insurance marketplaces. For more information about Molina Healthcare of New York, visit MolinaHealthcare.com.
About The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation
The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare, Inc. The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation was created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities.