Project Grant 20197003030401

ONE IN FIVE PEOPLE (19.9%) IN MISSISSIPPI (MS) LIVE IN POVERTY AND ALMOST 200,000 HOUSEHOLDS IN MS (17.2% OF ALL HOUSEHOLDS) EXPERIENCED FOOD INSECURITY BETWEEN 2015-2017, ACCORDING TO USDA ERS. BECAUSE OF THIS PERSISTENT POVERTY AND FOOD INSECURITY, MS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THREE STATES TO RECEIVE USDA STRIKEFORCE STATUS.THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY ESTIMATES THAT BETWEEN 2013-2017, MS HAD THE SECOND HIGHEST RATE OF HOUSEHOLDS PARTICIPATING IN SNAP (17.3%) OF ANY STATE. THE COUNTIES TARGETED HAVE SOME OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF POVERTY IN THE COUNTRY AND SOME OF THE HIGHEST PREVALENCE OF DIET-RELATED DISEASES SUCH AS DIABETES AND OBESITY IN THE COUNTRY; AMONG THE NINE TARGET COUNTIES, THERE ARE POVERTY RATES AS HIGH AS 36.2%, ADULT DIABETES PREVALENCE AS HIGH AS 14.9%, AND ADULT OBESITY PREVALENCE AS HIGH AS 44.7%, ACCORDING TO THE MISSISSIPPI BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR SURVEY.SNAP PARTICIPANTS, FARMERS, AGRICULTURE, AND HUMAN SERVICES OFFICIALS CONSISTENTLY STATE THAT THE HIGH POVERTY ANDFOOD SECURITY IS MADE WORSE BY A LACK OF HEALTHFUL FOOD OPTIONS. FROM 2015 TO 2019, MS WAS INCLUDED IN A 3.3 MILLION DOLLAR USDA FOOD INSECURITY NUTRITION INCENTIVE (FINI) GRANT. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, LESSONS WERE LEARNED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE SNAP PARTICIPANTS' USE OF INCENTIVES THROUGH DIRECT OUTREACH THROUGH PARTNERS, TARGETED MAILING, NUTRITION EDUCATION, AND THROUGH HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT HOPES TO BUILD UPON THESE RELATIONSHIPS TO ENHANCE THE HEALTH OF MISSISSIPPIANS BY EXPANDING THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCENTIVE REDEMPTION.BUILDING UPON THE PREVIOUS WORK, JACKSON MEDICAL MALL FOUNDATION (JMMF) IS PROPOSING DOUBLE UP FOOD BUCKS MISSISSIPPI (DUFBM). JMMF IS A 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION THAT MANAGES THE JACKSON MEDICAL MALL (JMM) THAD COCHRAN CENTER. IN 1996, THE JMM WAS TRANSFORMED FROM A NEGLECTED SHOPPING MALL TO A MODERN MEDICAL AND RETAIL FACILITY ADDRESSING THE HEALTH NEEDS OF THE UNDERSERVED, WITH A FOCUS ON SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. IT HOSTS 200,000 HEALTHCARE VISITS PER YEAR, WITH 5,000 VISITORS PER DAY.ALIGNED WITH COMMUNITY DESIRES AND USDA FUNDING, JMMF WILL IMPLEMENT DUFBM WITH THE OVERALL GOAL TO INCREASE THE PURCHASE OF GUSNIP QUALIFYING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES (FV) BY SNAP CONSUMERS AT THE POINT OF PURCHASE THROUGHOUT THE STATE. LAUNCHING DUFBM IN 20 SNAP RETAILERS COMMITTED TO OFFERING FV TO THEIR CUSTOMERS, THE PROGRAM WILL GIVE MISSISSIPPIANS MORE HEALTHFUL FOOD CHOICES THAN THE PREVIOUS PROGRAM, AS IT ONLY INCLUDED LIMITED RETAIL OPTIONS AND ONLY INCENTIVIZED FRESH FV. THE MS FIELD TEAM LEARNED THAT MS SNAP CONSUMERS DESIRED FV WITH A LONGER SHELF LIFE, AS WELL AS FROZEN OPTIONS. DUFBM WILL INCLUDE FIVE GROCERY STORES (GS), INCLUDING A LOCATION TO TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ON-LINE ORDERING COUPLED WITH A MOBILE DELIVERY OPTION, SEVEN FARM STANDS (FS), AND EIGHT FARMERS MARKETS (FM), INCLUDING A MOBILE MARKET.IN VIEW OF THE PRESSING NEED, KEEN INTEREST AND SUPPORT OF RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS, AND COMMITMENT FROM JMMF, WE BELIEVE THAT INCENTIVES COMBINED WITH ON-LINE ORDERING CAPABILITIES, NUTRITIONAL EDUCATION AND MORE ACCESS TO ADEQUATE TRANSPORTATION WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN THE PURCHASE AND CONSUMPTION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES - AND ULTIMATELY TO IMPROVED NUTRITION AND HEALTH OUTCOMES.