Highmark Foundation and Buffalo Bills Foundation launch Victory Table mobile initiative to expand healthy-food access in Western New York
BUFFALO, N.Y., Sept. 28, 2026 — The Highmark Foundation and the Buffalo Bills Foundation unveiled Victory Table, a mobile healthy-food initiative designed to expand access to nutritious meals, nutrition education and wellness resources across Western New York. The initiative will travel to schools, community organizations, neighborhood events and food-access initiatives offering free meals and wellness programming. Organizers said the program aims to address barriers that make it difficult for individuals and families to access healthy food and supportive services.
Michelle Roberts, executive director of the Buffalo Bills Foundation, said the team has a unique ability to bring people together and that Victory Table allows the organization to turn that connection into action. She said the initiative will meet people where they are, build relationships and help create a future in which every family has access to healthy food. Kenya T. Boswell, president of the Highmark Foundation and senior vice president of community affairs at Highmark Health, said Highmark is grateful to collaborate on Victory Table and that direct access to nutritious food and essential wellness resources supports better health outcomes.
Strive, a local organization that focuses on increasing healthy-food access and community well-being, will operate Victory Table year-round. Through an application process, community organizations can request visits as the mobile unit moves through all eight counties of Western New York and stops at after-school programs, neighborhood gatherings and food-access initiatives. Jon Corto, co-founder of Strive and Modern Market Co., said the groups are committed to serving others and called Victory Table a strong fit for their mission.
Regional partners helped develop Victory Table, and the initiative drew on insights from similar efforts across the NFL. The University at Buffalo Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab will provide ongoing data, research and planning support to guide deployment strategies and target neighborhoods that can benefit most. Dr. Raja Samina, SUNY distinguished professor and director of the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, said data and community insight are critical to ensuring resources reach neighborhoods that need them most.
Organizers launched Victory Table at the Resource Council of WNY, where more than 50 children and their families in an after-school program received healthy meals and participated in wellness-focused activities. The mobile unit will travel throughout Western New York in the months ahead, bringing meals, nutrition education and supportive resources to communities across the region. For more information or to submit a request, visit buffalobills.com/victorytable.
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Victory Table pairs a year-round local operator with university-backed data planning and regional engagement, which gives the initiative a strong foundation to target food-insecure neighborhoods. The partnership between the Buffalo Bills Foundation and Highmark uses community input and research to guide deployments and measure impact. Sustained community engagement and funding will determine whether Victory Table broadens the reach of nutrition education and supportive services across all eight counties of Western New York.