Project Grant 20237041541204

GEOGRAPHICALLY, THIS PROJECT FOCUSES ON WEST OAKLAND WHERE MORE THAN HALF OF RESIDENTS LIVE IN HIGH AND HIGHEST PRIORITY NEIGHBORHOODS AS STATED BY THE CITY OF OAKLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - RACIAL EQUITY TEAM. MANY OF WEST OAKLAND'S COMMUNITY MEMBERS FACE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING PRODUCE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO; LACK OF PRODUCE AVAILABILITY IN FOOD DESERTS; LACK OF AFFORDABLE, QUALITY PRODUCE; LACK OF CULTURALLY RELEVANT VARIETIES; LACK OF COOKING FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, CULINARY KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS; LACK OF PHYSICAL ABILITIES AND TIME TO PREPARE FOODS FROM RAW INGREDIENTS. ALL THESE FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO OAKLAND RESIDENTS' HIGHER RISK FOR DIET-RELATED DISEASES. BLACK AND LATINX CHILDREN, IN PARTICULAR, HAVE HIGHER THAN AVERAGE RATES OF OBESITY THAT CAN LEAD TO HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT PERSIST INTO ADULTHOOD. THE IMPACT OF FOOD DESERT CONDITIONS ON THE HEALTH OF CHILDREN IS DETRIMENTAL ANYWHERE, AND THE BURDEN IS HEAVILY RESTED UPON NEIGHBORHOODS WITHOUT A GROCERY STORE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE. THROUGH OUR WORK AT SABA WE KNOW THAT CORNER STORES ARE ASSETS LOCATED WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES. STORE OWNERS IN FACT WANT TO PROVIDE HEALTHIER PRODUCTS, BUT EXISTING HURDLES ARE COSTLY FOR THEM TO AMEND SINGLE-HANDEDLY. OUR ORGANIZATION'S 120 PARTNER STORES HAVE COMMITTED TO CARRYING PRODUCE IF SYSTEMATIC SUPPLY CHAIN BARRIERS ARE ADDRESSED. OUR MISSION IS TO CLOSE THIS GAP BY OFFERING PRODUCE DISTRIBUTION TO CORNER STORES AND TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR RESIDENTS TO PURCHASE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. WE INTEND TO EXPAND OUR ORGANIZATION'S OFFERING OF FRESH5X, OUR NUTRITION INCENTIVES PROGRAM, FROM FIVE TO TEN CORNER STORES IN OUR PRODUCE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK. OPEN TO ANY SNAP RECIPIENT 18 YEARS OLD AND OLDER, A PARTICIPANT EARNS $5 IN INCENTIVES FOR EVERY $1 SNAP BENEFIT USED TO BUY FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AT THE POINT OF SALE, THEREBY MULTIPLYING THEIR PRODUCE PURCHASING POWER BY 5X AND STRETCHING THEIR MONTHLY SNAP BUDGET FURTHER. WE WILLBE USING A SUITE OF TECHNOLOGICAL PLATFORMS TO DELIVER THE INCENTIVE EARNING AND REDEEMING ELECTRONICALLY AND IN REAL TIME. BY THE END OF THE PROJECT, WE ESTIMATE FRESH5X WILL BENEFIT UP TO 2,000 PREVIOUSLY UNDERSERVED SNAP HOUSEHOLDS. BY HAVING INCREASED DOLLARS TO PURCHASE FRESH PRODUCE, OAKLAND RESIDENTS HAVE A HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE TO PROCESSED FOODS, WHICH CAN MITIGATE OR LESSEN THE IMPACTS OF DIET-RELATED DISEASES.MAKING FRESH PRODUCE AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT SNAP RECIPIENTS' LOCAL CORNER STORE MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE MAJORITY OF SNAP RECIPIENTS, BUT NOT ALL. THROUGH OUR SURVEY EFFORTS IN OUR PARTICIPATING FRESH5X CORNER STORES, WE LEARNED THAT SPECIFIC POPULATIONS EXPERIENCE THE BARRIERS MENTIONED ABOVE MORE ACUTELY; UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS, YOUTH WHO HAVE NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO FRESH PRODUCE AT HOME, AND WORKING PARENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE TIME TO PREPARE MEALS FROM SCRATCH FOR THEIR FAMILIES. THIS PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO INNOVATE SOLUTIONS THAT WOULD LOWER SOME OF THESE BAR,RIERS. THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK DIRECTLY WITH OAKLAND'S ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR, WE INTEND TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF MANUFACTURING TWO PRODUCE PACKS THAT CONSIST OF RAW FRUITS OR VEGETABLES THAT HAVE BEEN PROCESSED AND PACKAGED INTO READILY CONSUMABLE UNITS. THE PACKS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH OUR CORNER STORES AND AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE BY ALL CUSTOMERS. THESE PRODUCTS SERVE AS A REALISTIC STEPPING STONE TO INCORPORATING FRESH PRODUCE INTO THE DIET OF A PERSON EXPERIENCING BARRIERS TO ACCESSING AND CONSUMING WHOLE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.FINALLY, AS AN INTERVENTION IS MORE SUSTAINABLE WHEN COUPLED WITH REINFORCING MESSAGES FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE, WE INTEND TO RECRUIT A TEAM OF FIVE COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS DRAWN FROM RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF PARTICIPATING FIRMS WHO WILL CONDUCT PEER-TO-PEER MARKETING AND OUTREACH SUPPORT TO BOOST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FRESH5X. THIS HYPER-LOCAL APPROACH OF ENGAGEMENT NOT ONLY BUILDS VALUE TO THE PROGRAM, IT ALSO BUILDS A SENSE OF PRIDE AND A COMMITMENT TO COLLECTIVELY INCREASE THE OVERALL WELLBEING OF COMMUNITIES THAT WILL LAST BEYOND THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT.