Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients already know the importance of the program. SNAP Feeds Us is an outreach project aimed to educate the public on the full extent of their benefits. For example, did you know that SNAP can sometimes score you free admission to museums?
Unfortunately, many children don’t have access to proper food and nutrition education. Learning where your food comes from and how it can benefit your health can not only impact the wellness and outlook of children, but influence nutrition decisions well into their adult years. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers Farm to School grants for planning, developing, and implementing farm to school projects in schools across the nation. With one of those planning grants and an amazing group of community partners, we’re now able to bring that mission to Leon County. From stocking cafeterias with local produce, to creating lush school gardens, to teaching kids healthy recipes, to visiting local farms and getting some hands-on learning experience with farm fresh produce, our goal is to tackle rising obesity rates and ensure that school meals benefit children, schools, and local farmers. Many kids rely on school meals as their only meals during weekdays: let’s make them count.
The Finding Inspiration Together (FIT) project aims to provide free virtual courses on nutrition, exercise, and mindful activities to kids who are out of school. During the summer of 2021, we produced thirty videos covering various topics, such as MyPlate.gov, nutritious recipes, strength training, how to read food labels, the benefits of meditation, water safety, the importance of breakfast, nature walks, food hygiene, and much more. The videos were shared in groups (or “modules”) each week so that kids could follow along and pace themselves. We hope to continue expanding this project and garner more viewers and, ultimately, provide more free, meaningful education to Florida’s kids.
In 2018, Florida Impact to End Hunger opened a new chapter in its work to fight hunger, by launching a healthy corner store project in Miami Gardens. Healthy corner stores represent an opportunity to bring higher nutrition foods into an existing food system in areas in need. Many communities rely on small retailers as their primary source of food. Unfortunately, these stores are often full of cheap, unhealthy choices and little to no fresh options. Poor diet, and other social determinants of health, may lead to chronic disease and other negative health outcomes. By bringing nutritious options into corner stores, shoppers have the option to make healthier choices. Effective branding and partnerships can help encourage this choice, by educating and supporting individuals and families on proper nutrition.
Miami Gardens Healthy Checkout addresses the lack of nutritious choices in the checkout line. Research shows that in-store marketing induces impulse buys, and we think large retailers should take on the responsibility to shift that marketing to healthier choices. Healthy Checkout policies seek to improve nutritional quality in the checkout areas of large retail stores. This holds stores accountable for the health and wellbeing of customers. It is almost impossible to avoid or ignore the overabundance of unhealthy choices in store checkout lanes. This product placement unfairly targets individuals who have no choice but to stand in line surrounded by these food and beverage choices, especially those shopping with children. This campaign seeks not to restrict individual choice, but rather to level the playing field between retailers/food corporations and shoppers’ health.
As part of the Florida Healthy Retail Program, the Homestead Food Access Coalition (HFAC) is made up of local leaders in the Homestead area. The group regularly meets to share thoughts, concerns, and ideas around helping the local community have better access to affordable, nutritious food. These efforts will then be used to create recommendations for City and County leadership. We have a Madison county counterpart in North Florida as well called the Madison Food Access Coalition, and hope to create more around the state.
Family Dinner Table Project (FDTP) is made up of local leaders in the Tampa Bay area. The group regularly meets to share thoughts, concerns, and ideas around helping the local community have better access to affordable, nutritious food. These efforts will then be used to create recommendations for City and County leadership. This project is the Tampa Bay counterpart of the Homestead Food Access Coalition and the Madison Food Access Coalition.
Florida for Fresh Access is a legislative campaign in partnership with Feeding Florida, Central Florida Alliance to End Hunger, Urban Health Partnerships, Florida Food Policy Council. The goal is to expand the Florida Access Bucks (FAB) program by $1 million to increase retail participation and consumer access. FAB can be used to purchase Florida-grown produce, as well as seeds and plants which produce food, for you and your family.
We are thrilled to announce our participation in a state-wide initiative to expand the farm to school program across 13 counties in Florida. The Florida School Nutrition Association (FSNA) has secured a $6.5 million cooperative agreement from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to support this project. In collaboration with nonprofits like Locally Grown, Florida Impact, and No Kid Hungry, we will work with farmers and producers who have faced racism and discrimination to bring more local food into school meals, particularly in historically underserved rural communities. This initiative will strengthen the school food supply chain, creating new opportunities for small, local farmers and ensuring school meals are fresher, more local, and more delicious.