LOUISIANA, La. ( KLFY ) — The Fresh Connect program was created for families to be able to use food as medicine. It will also help families get more access to fruits and vegetables, fighting health concerns and hunger.
The program is led by the No Kid Hungry campaign out of Washington D.C. It was funded through a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help combat childhood hunger and increase access to healthier food options for people looking to provide a more nutritional diet.
Sarah Mills with Share our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign, says the goal is to “reduce hunger for families by improving food security and putting money in people’s pockets to be able to augment their food budgets.”
The Fresh Connect funds will be distributed to each family through a Fresh Connect debit card in the mail which would be loaded with $40 every month for six months.
“It is able to be used at most major grocery store chains like Walmart, Albertsons and Winn-Dixie. They can also use it at local retailers and farmer’s markets,” said Mills.