BNMC Community Connections Day

A Health and Lifestyle Community Event

Thank you for joining us at the 2026 BNMC Community Connections Day!

By intentionally combining Taste of Health with the annual Food as Medicine Symposium, this program shifted from conversation to activation, creating a space where residents, organizations, clinicians, and local businesses could come together around one shared goal: advancing health equity in Western New York.

The impact was immediate and meaningful. More than 150 community members engaged directly with 25 community-based organizations, alongside 5 healthcare systems and clinicians, 12 local restaurants, and cross-sector partners. Activating a living ecosystem of connection, the program enabled community members to access local health resources, receive critical health screenings, build relationships, experience what “food as medicine” tastes like in practice, and engage in real-time dialogue about the barriers and opportunities shaping their health. Through facilitated small-group discussions, participants shared lived experiences, surfaced systemic challenges, and identified community-driven solutions.

These conversations were transcribed and will be translated into key themes to inform local organizations in designing interventions that are culturally relevant, accessible, and sustainable.

A comprehensive qualitative analysis is currently underway to transcribe and synthesize insights from these small group discussions. Themes emerging from community voices will directly inform upstream program design, partnership strategy, and future Food as Medicine initiatives across the region. This ensures that programs are not only evidence-based but community-informed.

Stay tuned for when the notes are released.

Below are links to some of the resources we shared at the event.

Presented by Community Bank

Community Partners

Community Connections Day hosted 50+ community-based organizations and cross-sector partners, including those focused on:

• Food access and nutrition security – Buffalo Go Green, Mass. Avenue Project, and Feedmore WNY
• Mental and behavioral health – BestSelf, Compeer, Mental Health Associates of Western New York, and National Alliance on Mental Illness
• Housing and transportation supports – PUSH Buffalo, Heart of the City, East Buffalo Development Corporation
• Chronic disease prevention and management / Health system and payer partners – Community Health Centers, Buffalo, Buffalo Center for Health Equity, Kaleida Health, Roswell Park, Highmark, and Univera Healthcare,
  Independent Health, UBMD, and Buffalo Medical Group
• Maternal and reproductive health –Catholic Charities, WIC
• Community wellness and movement programs – Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, YMCA, and Independent Health Foundation
• Local restaurants advancing healthy eating options – 12+
• Culinary educators and chefs
• Public health agencies – Erie County Department of Health, Office of Environmental Health – DOE, Clean Air Coalition, and Food Lab
• Youth –Collaborative Center for Social Innovation and Big Brother Big Sister
• Elected officials engaged across health priorities