12 Jul – WIC Pilot Veggie Rx Program Launched!
Gorge Grown is excited to announce the launch of the WIC Veggie Rx project. This pilot project will provide fresh fruits and vegetables to 50 pregnant, low-income mothers and their families enrolled in the Hood River Health Department WIC program. The primary goals are to 1) address the chronic condition of hunger/malnutrition and 2) improve the lifelong health of children by improving nutrition during their gestation and the first 6 months of life. $30 per month per family member in Veggie Rx will be provided to these WIC women and their family members over the course of 15 months (9 months of pregnancy and 6 months post-partum).
The WIC pilot has 4 components:
- Health care or social service providers (i.e. health department staff) identify mothers who suffer from food insecurity
- the staff write a “prescription” for those in need
- clients “fill” the prescription at farmers’ markets in the summer months and grocery stores during the remainder of the year
- mothers will have the opportunity to participate in group cooking classes such as “learning to cook on a budget”. The hope is that they will find friendship and support by learning and sharing healthy meals together.
Participants may also engage in suite of additional programs and activities to support healthy food choices and mental health such as community/school gardens, Gleaning (rescuing fresh produce from local farms), and the Power of Produce (POP) club, providing fresh produce to youth at farmers markets.
For more information contact Kate Karlson, RN, BSN Veggie Rx Program Manager at veggierx@gorgegrown.com