New local program will provide low-income residents with fresh food

A new program will provide fresh food for low-income residents experiencing health issues. The study will be monitoring the impact food security has on physical and mental health. 

Funded by a $500,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, the Fresh Food RX study will provide weekly fresh food boxes to 125 residents in Forsyth County. 

Nurse practitioner, Doctor Rachel Zimmer is with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. She will be leading the project with the Winston Lake Family YMCA and The Produce Box. She says they’re planning to work with box recipients to see how having access to nutritious food impacts their health. 

"We're going to look at diabetes and blood pressure and cholesterol numbers over time. And of course, weight, but then I'm also monitoring depression," she says. "So we're checking to see at the beginning of the program, how much depression and loneliness is there at the beginning versus at the end of the program."

Zimmer explains the study will serve primarily Black and Hispanic communities and that individuals will get to choose between three different boxes every week. The survey is enrolling people who have Medicaid and/or are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

This story was produced by a partnership between WFDD and La Noticia.

Eileen Rodriguez is a reporter for both WFDD and La Noticia through Report for America, where she covers COVID-19's impact in the Latino Communities.

Periodista de La Noticia y 88.5 WFDD, Eileen Rodríguez reporta el impacto de COVID-19 en la comunidad Latina en Carolina del Norte. Rodríguez es miembro del cuerpo de periodistas de Report for America 2021-2022