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FOOD FOR HEALTH

Remember the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?”

For some families, a low income and lack of easy access or transportation to farmers markets keep healthy food like apples out of reach. Access to nutritionally sound foods is integral to overall health, and increased access has been shown to help decrease  diet-related illnesses like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and stroke.

WWG’s Food For Health promotes affordable access to produce and healthy eating in underserved communities through partnerships with healthcare providers, community organizations, and retailers. Healthcare providers give families innovative prescriptions that can be spent on fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets.

2015-2019 GRAND TOTALS

853
Total Participants Enrolled
586
Total Participants Retained
1,909
Total Household Members
205,323
Total Prescriptions Redeemed

HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?

An evidence-based intervention for chronic diet-related illnesses

Eligibility Determined
Patients are assessed for food insecurity and diet-related illnesses by healthcare providers.

6 Month Program
Participants redeem food prescriptions and take part in culinary and wellness education classes.

cooking

Healthy Choices = Generational Wellness
Participants learn to make healthier food choices and prepare nutritious meals.

WWG’s Food for Health program is a proven evidence-based model of preventative healthcare with a demonstrated impact, resulting in healthier communities, food systems, and local economies. Click here to read more about the impact of the program in our annual Food for Health evaluation reports.

FOOD FOR HEALTH PROGRAM PARTNERS

"I did not realize how little we were eating of fresh fruits and veggies. We always bypassed most of them because they were more expensive than the canned ones. But for the last 2 weeks we have had at least 4 servings a day with the variety of things we’ve gotten”

— Food for Health Participant

"I was always big on prescribing cheap prescriptions to my patients. I had never thought about prescribing food. My patients were not going to the farmers markets, they were buying the 4 for $4 at Wendy’s. I saw the endless cycle of health problems created by food and what my patients were eating. Food affects everything, it affects my patient’s lives in so many ways. The program completely changed the way I prescribed medicine. Now I prescribe food."

— Food for Health Participant
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