Community-based organizations, El Concilio and E Center,
partner to provide residents of San
Joaquin, Sutter and
Yuba counties with fresh fruits
and vegetables.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 19,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A $120,000 grant from Health Net has empowered
Vouchers 4 Veggies (V4V) to expand into three rural
California counties, providing
more families with access to fresh, healthy food. This grant is
part of Health Net's ongoing commitment to improving community
health by addressing chronic food insecurity in California communities.
"Access to healthy food should not be a privilege," said Dr.
Pooja Mittal, Chief Health Equity
Officer at Health Net. "Good nutrition is necessary to boost
energy, keep our bodies healthy, and reduce the risk of some
chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. According to
Nourish California, an Oakland-based nonprofit, there are 4.7 million
adults and 2 million children across the state who are affected by
food insecurity."
Since November 2021, more than 250
low-income households with young children have been successfully
enrolled into the program in San
Joaquin, Sutter, and
Yuba counties. By partnering with
recognized and respected community-based organizations such as the
E Center and El Concilio, V4V provides individuals and families in
need with monthly food vouchers for fruit and vegetables. These
vouchers are redeemable at participating grocery retailers for the
following six months. The program also offers education so that
people can learn more about taking care of their health.
"Health Net's support has allowed us to partner with Vouchers 4
Veggies and reach more people who need our help providing
nutritious food for themselves and their families," said
Jose R. Rodriguez, President and
Chief Executive Officer of El Concilio. "We are incredibly grateful
for their commitment to addressing food insecurity in our state.
Together, we are working to increase access to healthy food for
all."
"Ensuring that residents struggling with food insecurity can get
the fresh food and vegetables they need is one of my top priorities
as a Supervisor," said Miguel
Villapudua, San Joaquin
County Supervisor for District 1. "We are proud to add
Vouchers 4 Veggies to our list of food assistance programs. Health
Net's support will go a long way in providing access to healthy
food for those who need it most."
This news builds off Health Net's recent announcement of
awarding more than $350,000 to
10 community-based organizations in the Central Valley that work to
improve food access and health equity. With funding to expand their
initiatives, these organizations combat food insecurity through
approaches such as food banks, providing school lunches,
transporting food to hard-to-reach neighborhoods and assisting
seniors with food program applications.
Health Net has been providing care for the state's most vulnerable
residents for more than 40 years. They continue to be at the
forefront of the movement to improve health equity with
multi-faceted, collaborative and culturally relevant programs and
interventions at the statewide and local level. Visit
BridgingtheDivideCA.com to learn more about Health Net's
industry-leading efforts to drive health equity, and follow them on
Facebook and Twitter.
About Health Net:
Founded in California more than 40 years ago, Health Net
believes every person deserves a safety net for their health,
regardless of age, income, employment status or current state of
health. That's why we provide health coverage for every stage of
life and advance health equity with innovative approaches to care.
Today, Health Net's 2,600 employees and 90,000 network providers
serve three million members throughout California. We offer an array of health plans,
including Medi-Cal, Medicare and individual and family plans. We
offer these health plans and other services through Health Net, LLC
and its subsidiaries: Health Net of California, Inc., Health Net Life Insurance
Company and Health Net Community Solutions, Inc. These entities are
wholly owned subsidiaries of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), a
Fortune 25 company. For more information, visit
www.HealthNet.com.
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SOURCE Centene / Health Net