MERCED, Calif., July 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
PEACH (People Eating and Cooking Healthy) Program, is a
collaboration between the Merced County Food Bank, Merced County
Public Health, Human Services Agency, UC Merced Food Panty,
Merced College and Mercy Medical Center
Merced staff.
The objective of the PEACH Program is to build community
capacity to focus on the following unmet health related areas
outlined in Mercy Medical Center's Community Health Needs
Assessment.
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease & Stroke
- Nutrition, Physical Activity & Weight
Through a community-based approach to nutrition education and
healthy food environments, the PEACH program will work to improve
food access and teach lifelong nutrition skills in lower income
communities and empower SNAP-eligible individuals, families,
children and communities to live a healthy life.
The PEACH Program outcomes will include:
- Educating program participants on making healthy food
choices
- Provide free fresh nutritious produce, nuts and food
- Introducing participants to a variety of healthy foods
- Showing parents how to buy and prepare healthy, affordable
foods
- Introducing nutritious ingredients through taste tests and
cooking demonstrations
- Providing tips on how to stretch a tight food budget
- Teaching nutrition and cooking workshops to adults and
families
- Encouraging exercise and healthy decision-making
- Disseminating CalFresh and other information to low income
populations which inform them of programs and services that will
increase their access to nutritious perishable and non-perishable
food throughout Merced
County.
Merced County Food Bank's Executive Director Bill Gibbs said "The Peach Program is modeled
after a very successful like-named project at The Food Trust –
based in Philadelphia. All of the
consortium partners have been providing nutrition education and
food services through independent projects. Over the last few
months, we have been discussing hunger needs in the community and
how we can all integrate our resources to help improve the health
and well-being of our program participants.
We are all very enthusiastic about the PEACH Program and the
positive impact it will have on our community.
This pilot project will start at some of our current food
distribution sites and will expand as we gather funds and
resources".
For more information about the Merced County Food Bank please
visit www.mmcfb.org
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visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/merced-county-food-bank-and-community-partners-launch-peach-program-300306589.html
SOURCE Merced County Food Bank