Food Bank CEO Patricia Beebe read an article a few years ago about doctors practicing in Appalachia prescribing healthy food instead of pills. She couldn’t believe the difference it made in people's’ lives, yet it had difficulty finding funders.
“It really is a common sense idea. But sometimes common sense ideas are the ones that take the longest for people to embrace," she said.
The idea stuck with her, and eventually the president of Delaware Pediatrics joined Beebe in looking to duplicate it locally.
They researched it further before pitching the concept to Giant Food, and now a multi-year grant from its Our Family Foundation is funding the “Produce Prescription” program: providing 120 families served by Delaware Pediatrics with 15-30 pounds of free produce monthly.
Matthew Talley is Produce Access Coordinator with the Delaware Food Bank. He helps coordinate the new Produce Prescription program, providing free fresh produce to families identified by Delaware Pediatrics as at risk for food insecurity and diet-related health conditions.
“Each family will get two boxes: one full of fruits and one full of vegetables,” he said.
The food is provided through a new partnership between the Delaware Food Bank, Delaware Pediatrics and Giant – made possible through a multi-year grant from Giant Foods’ Our Family Foundation.
Jamie Miller of Giant Food says supporting food banks in the Mid Atlantic region is among the company's top priorities.
In order to receive the food, Dr. Matthew Gotthold with Delaware Pediatrics says pediatric doctors present the families with a paper “prescription” that looks more like an award certificate, or a college diploma. But in the center: instead of a mascot or emblem is a picture of fruits and vegetables.
“We want them to take it seriously in terms of ok: this is your fresh, healthy medicine. It doesn’t come in pill form, instead it comes in bright shiny colors that you can put in your mouth and have taste good,” he said.
The “prescriptions” entitle the families to pick up 15-20 pounds – sometimes upwards of 30 pounds – of fresh fruits and veggies once a month at one of two Delaware Pediatrics locations.
30 of the 120 families receive the produce weekly. Additionally, free recipes and other helpful items – like vegetable peelers – are handed out.
While the window of time to pick up the produce is currently only from 3 to 5 p.m. on a set day each month, Talley and Gotthold say sometimes Delaware Pediatrics is able to hold onto the items for an additional 24-48 hours onsite in coolers. Talley added other accommodations could be made as needed.
Beebe hopes the project can spur systemic change, and says the pilot program is already gaining traction in the community.
The idea was floated to all area hospitals, but the only one to express interested so far has been Bebee Medical Center. A similar program will begin there in the next couple of weeks.
