Michelle Obama is tweeting about Fresno, food and families. Here’s what’s happening
Former first lady Michelle Obama announced Tuesday that thousands of Fresno-area families would receive healthy meal kits as part of her ‘Pass the Love w/ Waffles + Mochi’ healthy foods campaign in cooperation with Partnership for a Healthier America.
“I’m thrilled to share that we’ll soon be distributing healthy meal kits to families in Fresno as part of our Pass the Love campaign with @PHAnews! We’re so close to reaching our goal of providing one million meals, but we need your support. Join us: WafflesAndMochi.org,” said Obama via Twitter. The former first lady serves as the honorary chair of PHA.
Over the course of four weeks, PHA and its local partner, Central California Food Bank, will distribute 120,000 healthy meals to food-insecure Fresno families as the campaign works to meet its goal of distributing 1 million meals across the country.
“We are grateful and honored to be chosen by Partnership for a Healthier America to join forces in educating and raising awareness about health and hunger in Central California,” said Kym Dildine, co-CEO of Central California Food Bank. “We have seen a huge spike in need in our community and this partnership with the ‘Pass the Love w/ Waffles + Mochi’ campaign could not come at a better time.”
“In Central California, one in three children are hungry,” said Natalie Caples, co-CEO of Central California Food Bank. “This comprehensive program is going to educate families with new and innovative ways to cook nutritious foods and provide them with the meals they need to thrive.”
Food insecurity in the Central Valley and beyond
In Fresno County, an estimated 38% of children live in poverty, based on a 2016 analysis of U.S. Census Bureau and American Community Survey data by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The child food insecurity rate in the county is 22%, based on 2019 data from Feeding America.
Food insecurity, a long-standing problem in the central San Joaquin Valley, was exacerbated as a result of the pandemic, when many families experienced unemployment and had an even harder time accessing nutritional meals.
And while the region is famous for its multi-billion dollar agricultural industry, accessing fresh fruits and vegetables is a challenge for many residents.
According to 2016 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Fresno County only has .26 grocery stores for every 1,000 residents. Meanwhile, there are .65 fast-food restaurants for every 1,000 residents.
“We can’t just keep living in a world where we have a two-tiered (food) system, where people of means have new choices every single day...and then other people don’t even have access to a basic apple unless they take the bus to the grocery store,” said Nancy E. Roman, president and chief executive officer of PHA.
About the ‘food equity’ campaign
The “Pass the Love” campaign is focused on making healthy meal preparation fun for families, in order to lay the foundation for “long-term shifts in attitudes and diet that benefit health,” said Roman.
It’s all part of PHA’s goal of “food equity” where fresh fruits and vegetables are both accessible and affordable for everyone.
The meal kits were developed by Genuine Foods, a socially-conscious food service organization, and come with nutrition-dense recipes for family meals, such as sweet potato black bean soup, vegetable enchiladas, sesame coconut noodle salad, and more.
As a next step, PHA will work with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to collect surveys and conduct focus groups with participating families in order to evaluate the impact of the “Pass the Love” campaign in uplifting food-insecure families, teaching new cooking skills, and fostering healthier habits. The program will evaluate how the campaign impacts “the ease and enjoyment of cooking at home” for participating families, according to a press report.
Roman said that they are looking for local partners in the Fresno area to pilot selling the meal kits to families at a price that competes with the price of fast-food meals.
CHOP’s research will culminate in a report and set of recommendations expected later this year.
How can I participate?
Fresno-area families that are interested in picking up healthy meal kits can visit the Central California Food Bank website for details on how to sign up and details on where food distribution will take starting the week of Jan. 17.
Distributions will be coordinated by local nonprofit partners will take place at the following locations and times:
Every Neighborhood Partnership at The Parks at Fig Garden 4085 N. Fruit Ave. Fresno,Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Jan. 19 and 26, Feb. 2 and 9
The Fresno Center 4879 E. Kings Canyon Road Fresno, Tuesdays, 3-5 p.m., Jan. 18 and 25, Feb. 1 and 8
Lighthouse for Children 2405 Tulare St. Fresno, Thursdays, 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Jan. 20 and 27, Feb. 3 and 10
Every Neighborhood Partnership at Golden Charter Academy 1626 W. Princeton Ave. Fresno, Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Jan. 19 and 26, Feb. 2 and 9
Exceptional Parents Unlimited (EPU) 1835 N. Winery Ave. Fresno, Thursdays, 10 a.m.-noon, Jan. 20 and 27, Feb. 3 and 10
Every Neighborhood Partnership at Olmos Elementary 550 S. Garden Ave. Fresno, Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Jan. 19 and 26, Feb. 2 and 9
KC-Kids 1220 E. Washington Reedley, Fridays, 2-4 p.m., Jan. 21 and 28, Feb. 4 and 11
Preregistration is encouraged, but not required, and does not guarantee a meal kit once onsite. Meal kits will be distributed while supplies last.
This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 9:02 AM with the headline "Michelle Obama is tweeting about Fresno, food and families. Here’s what’s happening."
