ON HEELS OF WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON HUNGER, ABOUT FRESH EXPANDS ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD IN WASHINGTON DC

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Produce Prescription Program led by DC Greens Provides Prepaid Debit Cards to Families on Medicaid at Giant Foods

BOSTON, Nov. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, About Fresh, a Boston based nonprofit committed to expanding access to high-quality, fresh food vital to people’s health, wellbeing, and culture, announced partnerships with DC Greens, a DC based nonprofit organization, and all DC based Giant Food locations, marking the company’s expansion to the Mid-Atlantic region. Through About Fresh’s proprietary “Fresh Connect” program, participants can now use debit cards to purchase ‘prescribed’ fresh food by healthcare providers at DC based Giant Food locations. As a foodcare partnership, this represents a significant step in the effort to combine healthcare resources with Fresh Connect’s groundbreaking technology and leading retail partners to significantly advance health equity and to transform the way we fund efforts to eradicate food insecurity and improve public health.

DC Greens’ mission is to advance health equity by building a just and resilient food system. For the past eight years, DC Greens has been administering DC’s Produce Prescription program for adults. In September 2022, the nonprofit launched the Children & Families Produce Prescription (CFPRx)pilot which will use Fresh Connect cards to more easily allow participants (children and their families) to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables at their local store.

“DC Greens is excited to partner with About Fresh to launch our Children and Families Produce Rx program, and continue to grow Produce Rx to provide a more accessible, user friendly and equitable program to our participants throughout DC,” said Luisa Furstenberg-Beckman, Produce Prescription Program manager at DC Greens. “From the Capital Area Food Bank’s 2022 Hunger Report, we know that as many as 1 in 3 residents in the Greater Washington Area have struggled with food insecurity at some point in the past year. The Produce Prescription program gives providers a resource for their patients who may be struggling with diabetes and/or hypertension. Fresh Connect makes accessing nutritious food more accessible.”

Today’s announcement represents a significant expansion for About Fresh and comes on the heels of the White House Conference on Hunger, which the company attended. Earlier this year Stop & Shop, the first major retailer to partner with About Fresh, expanded this program to more than 400 stores throughout New England. Both Stop & Shop and Giant are wholly owned subsidiaries of Ahold. Through the partnership, nearly 90% of cardholders have made a purchase at Stop & Shop.

“As a food retailer, we recognize the important role we play in improving access to healthy and affordable food,” said Lisa Coleman, MS, RD, and Director of Healthy Living at Giant Food. “Our partnership with About Fresh allows Giant to expand produce prescriptions and other nutrition incentive solutions to community partners who are also focused on health. Fresh Connect participants can maximize their benefits by accessing free classes, consultations and additional resources offered by Giant’s Healthy Living Team.”

The District’s CFPRx program is financially supported by the District’s Department of Healthcare Finance, the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation, United Healthcare, and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

“Households struggling with food insecurity can’t afford the foods that are essential for health, stability, and cultural celebration. As the first to create a retailer-agnostic, frictionless point-of-sale payment solution for food prescriptions, About Fresh has the opportunity to make a significant impact for millions of people and its tremendous extension of our mission to bring Fresh Connect to DC Residents,” said Josh Trautwein, Co-founder and CEO of About Fresh. “Working in partnership with Giant Food and DC Greens marks a significant expansion of our geographic footprint meaning we can serve more people and brings us one step closer to our vision of a future where everyone has access to the food they need to be at their best.”

To learn more about the About Fresh “Fresh Connect” program, please visit: www.aboutfresh.org/fresh-connect.

About DC Greens

Founded in 2009, DC Greens is dedicated to advancing health equity by creating a just and resilient food system in the nation’s capital. DC Greens advocates for good food policy; builds community resources for health equity; and strives to be a transparent, sustainable, and accountable organization. We do this work in solidarity with marginalized communities experiencing poverty and food insecurity.

For more information regarding the Children’s & Families Produce Prescription program, visit www.dcgreens.org/children

For more information about DC Greens, visit www.dcgreens.org.

About Giant Food

Since opening its first location over 85 years ago in Washington, D.C. in 1936, Giant has been an integral part of the communities and customers it serves. Giant is committed to being a Better Neighbor and has designated four main giving pillars that address local Food Insecurity, Military Support, Pediatric Cancer Research and Social Equality. Giant is headquartered in Landover, Md. and operates 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia with approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 164 stores are 153 full-service pharmacies, 92 full-service PNC Banks and 27 Starbucks locations. Giant fits all the ways today’s busy customers want to shop – whether in store or online. With 160 Giant Pickup locations and Giant Delivers available in all of its markets, customers have even more convenient options right at their fingertips to get the best products and prices, whenever and however they choose. For more information on Giant, visit: www.giantfood.com.

About Fresh Connect and About Fresh:

Fresh Connect enables healthcare organizations to cover the cost of fresh food for patients where they already shop, helping improve health outcomes and support overall wellbeing. Composed of a prepaid debit card funded by healthcare institutions and a HIPAA-compliant platform, Fresh Connect empowers patients who are experiencing food insecurity with the resources, convenience, and agency to purchase culturally connected, fresh food that supports their health.

About Fresh is a Boston-based nonprofit committed to expanding access to the high-quality, fresh food that is vital to people’s health, wellbeing, and culture. About Fresh partners with health systems and civic leaders to expand access to fresh, culturally-relevant food for people who need it most.

Media Contact:
Michele Fox, [email protected]