Author: Sarah Lowry | Photo credit: Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership
Warren, OH – The Healthy Community Partnership-Mahoning Valley (the Partnership) celebrated nearly $7 million in state and federal investment in Produce Perks Midwest’s nutrition incentive program in Ohio on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at 3 PM at the Warren Farmers Market.
Recent investments in Produce Perks Midwest’s Nutrition Incentive Program come from the following sources:
- Ohio Budget SFY 2022-2023: $1,000,000
- USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program COVID Relief and Response (GusCRR) 2021-2024 $5,766,749
U.S. Congressman Tim Ryan and Tevis Foreman, Executive Director of Produce Perks Midwest will join local leaders, including Youngstown Mayor Jamael “Tito” Brown, and Partnership members to announce and celebrate these recent investments that will help Ohioans access healthy food at affordable prices.
Produce Perks Midwest, a Cincinnati-based organization, in partnership with the Ohio Nutrition Incentive Network lead the charge to secure these resources to sustain and expand nutrition incentive programming across Ohio, including in the Mahoning Valley. Produce Perks, Ohio’s Nutrition Incentive Program, more commonly known as “Double Up” or “SNAP Double Up,” is currently available in 9 local grocery stores, 4 local farmers markets, and soon to expand into community stores in local neighborhoods.
Ohio’s Nutrition Incentive Program provides a $1:$1 match for SNAP and P-EBT beneficiaries to purchase fruits and vegetables from Ohio farmers, farmers markets and small-business retailers. In 2020, Nutrition incentive programming generated nearly $3 million in healthy food purchases statewide, which includes $250,000 in the Mahoning Valley.
In 2018, the Food Research and Action Center’s “How Hungry Is America?” reported that the Mahoning Valley is home of the second most food insecure metropolitan statistical area in the country. The 2020-2022 Community Health Assessment indicated that an average of 11% of Mahoning and Trumbull County residents experience more than one barrier to healthy foods. The most common barrier expressed was cost: 15% of Mahoning County residents and 14% of Trumbull County residents identified the cost of healthy foods as the primary reason they are not able to eat healthier.
The Healthy Community Partnership of the Mahoning Valley is bringing together organizations and individuals who share a commitment to a healthier, more equitable Mahoning Valley and improving health, wellbeing, and health equity for residents in Mahoning and Trumbull Counties. There are three focus areas through which HCP-MV is developing strategies to achieve long-term, sustainable change: Healthy Food Retail, Active Transportation, and Parks and Green Spaces. The generosity of the following funding partners support the efforts of the Partnership: Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, Western Reserve Health Foundation, the Trumbull Memorial Health Foundation, the William Swanston Charitable Fund, and the Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley.