The Washington, D.C.-based Partnership for a Healthier America said it has eclipsed 2 million servings of fresh fruits and vegetables distributed to communities in need through its COVID-19 Fresh Food Fund.
The group also announced it will expand its program to Aurora, Colo. in February in response to a continuing need for healthy food and fresh produce in the wake of COVID-19.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted gross disparities in access to healthy food for many Americans, particularly in low-income communities, Nancy Roman, president and CEO of Partnership for a Healthier America, said in a news release. “Through the COVID-19 Fresh Food Fund, we have successfully fulfilled a critical short-term emergency need for food among thousands of high need households in Colorado and New York, while building healthy habits and using data to bridge affordable access to fresh and healthy food, improving food equity.”
The program first deployed in Denver, Colo., in May 2020 and has since provided 1.8 million servings of fruits and vegetables to communities in Colorado, along with an additional 240,000 servings to communities in New York, according to the release.
The expansion to Aurora, Colo., supports the program’s long term goal of exploring models that build access to fresh produce for underserved communities, the group said.
The PHA Fresh Boxes for those in need are built to offer balanced nutrition, variety, and seasonal flavors to a family of four for approximately one week, according to the release. The goal for the 20- to 25-pound boxes, the group said, is to provide two to three servings of produce per person each day, with a 60-40 ratio of vegetables to fruits. Based on availability and seasonality, local and regional growers will be used to the greatest extent possible.
The COVID-19 Fresh Food Fund was created in partnership with the Produce Marketing Association in 2020 and has been funded by ReFED, Novo Nordisk, Wegmans, the New York State Health Foundation, and individual donors. The Aurora expansion is funded in part by an anonymous donation, according to the release.
The group was created in 2010 in conjunction with former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. The group identifies its mission as “to leverage the power of the private sector to transform the food landscape in pursuit of health equity.”
