Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Community Action Provides Nutrition


Many low-income individuals lack the access or money for fresh, healthy food options. To help combat this problem, the Lancaster Fairfield Community Action Agency (LFCAA) started a Farmer’s Market.  The Farmer’s Market provides low-income people with boxes of fresh produce, including potatoes, carrots, corn, onions, grapes, and more – as well as a loaf of bread and a peach pie.

Between May and October, nearly 2,000 such boxes were distributed to low-income individuals and families participating in the LFCAA drive-through Farmers’ Market program. Sponsored by Mid-Ohio Foodbank and enhanced through local donations, the program provided fresh, healthy food options to individuals who likely would otherwise be unable to afford so much in store. For each Farmers’ Market, a Foodbank truck delivered a minimum of 10,000 pounds of fresh produce, bread and other bakery products.

The program was a huge success and very appreciated by the community. “You people are a blessing!” one senior citizen yelled from her car window as she was leaving a Farmers’ Market at LFCAA this past summer with her box of fresh produce that had just been loaded into her trunk.

For more information about Community Action programs in your area, visit www.oacaa.org. Note, not all Community Action Agencies offer these programs.

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