Despite a national network of 200 food banks and over 33,000 food pantries, almost 15% of all U.S. households are food insecure. Chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression and anxiety are often linked to food insecurity. Freshplace is a novel food pantry model located at 255 Homestead Avenue, Hartford, CT, whose goals are to foster food security and self-sufficiency. UConn researchers conducted a randomized control trial to evaluate the impact of Freshplace over 18 months. The goal is to create a replicable model for other local pantries and to influence policies related to food assistance programs. For more information about this program, see http://foodandhealthequity.blogspot.com/.