Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly to families, says it will expand its reach through the Produce Rx program with the support of DoorDash and its Project DASH initiative.
Brighter Bites says it partnered in 2022 with UT Physicians, the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, and the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health to conduct a randomized controlled study to assess the impact of two produce prescription strategies among children who were overweight and obese, along with their families who were Medicaid-eligible, at two UT Physicians’ clinics in Houston.
“The opportunity to deliver produce directly to children who require dietary intervention is an exciting one,” Mike Pomeroy, vice president of operations for Brighter Bites, said in a news release. “Some children are at risk with their long-term health if they don’t make dramatic improvements to their daily food intake. Our Produce Rx partnership with UT Physicians and DoorDash enables us to reach the children who need Brighter Bites the most.”
DoorDash has helped make this possible by transporting 16 biweekly deliveries of 15-20 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to children and families who are prescribed to Produce Rx, according to the release. The deliveries consist of the same-sized produce box that Brighter Bites’ school-based program regularly distributes.
Though this Produce Rx program is currently only available in Houston, DoorDash and Brighter Bites have committed to support the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health and its goal of ending hunger by 2030, the release said. Both organizations say they will expand their impact through delivery of prescription fresh produce to several additional cities across the U.S. by 2025.
“DoorDash is proud to expand our partnership with Brighter Bites in support of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health,” Daniel Riff, head of DoorDash Drive government and nonprofit, said in the release. “Local delivery of charitable food can have a transformative impact by breaking down barriers to access and enabling partners like Brighter Bites to promote health and wellness through produce boxes. We look forward to growing our partnership and joining with all sectors to grow our collective impact.”
The study, conducted among 150 families, will be completed this spring and will determine the feasibility and effectiveness of improving weight management outcomes, food insecurity and diet quality among the participating children and their families, according to the release. If successful, this will provide the evidence needed for a new health care partnership model for Brighter Bites, the release said.
To learn more about becoming a corporate sponsor through product or financial donations, visit brighterbites.org or contact Director of Strategy and Partnerships Amy Priebe at amy.priebe@brighterbites.org. Organizations interested in providing local delivery for their clients via Project DASH can contact projectdash@doordash.com.
