We're All Family! Mobile Food Pharmacy

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2019

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2017 an estimated 1 in 8 Americans were food insecure, equating to 40 million Americans including more than 12 million children. Food insecurity, a social determinant of health, leads to adverse outcomes particularly for people living with chronic conditions. Those who experience food insecurity face poor physical and mental health and face unmet needs for chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. As the safety net medical provider for the uninsured, low-income, and underserved population of Solano County, Family Health Services (FHS) witnesses this negative correlation between food insecurity and chronic disease daily. These issues are compounded by the lack of affordable and accessible transportation to doctors’ appointments. Many patients are forced to choose between spending limited resources on transportation to medical appointments, work, school, or even the grocery store. To alleviate this anxiety of healthy food options being out of reach both economically and geographically, during their primary care appointments, patients receive a prescription for fresh produce from the We’re All Family! Mobile Food Pharmacy (MFP) parked outside the FHS clinics or alongside the Mobile Medical Clinic. Recipe cards corresponding to the produce received are distributed to assist in the preparation of healthy and appetizing dishes. Providing free produce on site encourages patients to incorporate healthy food options into their families’ regular diet and understand how it’s possible to prepare healthy and affordable meals.