Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the expanded scope of this guscrr…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the expanded scope of this guscrr project is informed by feedback from healthcare partners and fvrx participants and responds to community needs. All current spanish-speaking fvrx participants receive their healthcare from sea MAR in mount vernon (sea MAR serves low-income and uninsured residents at clinics throughout the region and specializes in services to latinx persons). Thus, including sea MAR mount vernon as an fvrx provider will better enable service to latinx individuals and their families by integrating culturally and linguistically appropriate services with their existing medical home and delivering fvrx benefits through trusted channels. Fvrx expansion will enhance the resilience of skagit county's healthcare system by providing partners with tools for managing and reducing diet-related conditions among underserved latinx populations. This is especially timely given the increased risks posed by covid to persons with diabetes and other chronic diseases. The expanded project also responds to unmet needs within the community. Ironically, though many latinx people in skagit county perform essential duties as farmworkers in the robust agricultural sector, they suffer disproportionately from food insecurity and diet-related chronic diseases. The covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing social, economic, and health risk factors and disparities faced by the latinx community. According to the washington state covid-19 data dashboard, hispanic residents comprise 13% of the total state population and represent 30% of covid cases, 22% of hospitalizations, and 12% of deaths. The age-adjusted death rate per 100,000 among confirmed or probable covid-19 cases is three times higher for hispanic than white populations. Guscrr funding will allow US to address disparities through our program and provide much-needed covid-19 pandemic relief in skagit county. The design of the proposed guscrr project responds to these feedback and unmet needs as IT focuses on adapting programming and recruitment to effectively and conscientiously serve spanish-speaking residents. As with our existing fvrx program, the guscrr project combinesfinancial incentives for purchasing fresh fruits and veggies from local retailers and farmers markets with personalized goal setting and instruction at participants' medical homeover a twelve-month period. Monthly check-INS provide accountability, spark motivation, and build trust between participants and clinic healthcare providers.additional program activities foster connections to other participants as well as to local resources for healthy eating and living that will extend beyond the program's duration.through these methods, the extension ofour existing healthcare collaboration to sea MAR in mount vernon will increase access to healthy foods among participating latinx and spanish-speaking families, who are more likely to face financial barriers to incorporating fresh produce in their diets. Simultaneously, nutrition education and regular check-INS with an RD, when tailored to the latinx community in an authentic manner, will also increase equitable access to culturally relevant healthcare.lastly, increasing the value of incentives to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables will benefit local farmers and retailers. Small farms in skagit county have been especially impacted by coronavirus restrictions that eliminated restaurant sales and reduced traffic at farmers markets. Each of our nine participating vendors are locally or regionally owned and managed, meaning that the increased sale of produce from our proposed fvrx expansion will facilitate the local business community's recovery from the pandemic and enhance the resilience of skagit county's food system.