Good Food at Home: The “Program that Keeps on Giving”

Sister Lovely Ali has a 5-year-old grandson who loves grapes, but they’ve gotten more expensive and she can’t always afford to buy them for him.

Sister Lovely lives in Englewood, New Jersey with her two daughters and two grandkids. Having young grandchildren in her household makes it difficult for her to get to the grocery store sometimes, so when she found out about Partnership for a Healthier America’s (PHA) Good Food at Home program, she was ecstatic.

“What made the program stand out to me and my family is that we were able to get fresh fruits and vegetables delivered right to my home. I didn’t have to use gas money; I didn’t have to take an Uber; I didn’t have to ask a neighbor, ‘Can you bring me?’ It literally came right at my door,” she said.

Sister Lovely was one of the 200 families selected by our local community partner, Center for Food Action, to participate in our Good Food at Home program in Englewood, NJ. Through the program and our ongoing partnership with Instacart, her family received 3 months of $60 in Fresh Funds produce credits to buy fresh produce online. This allowed families like Sister Lovely’s to select and enjoy a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, in addition to their food pickups once every three weeks from CFA’s six food pantries across northern NJ, helping to enhance their diets and overall well-being.

“I can recall the very first day we ordered through Instacart,“ said Sister Lovely. When we opened the door and the food was there, my grandson was jumping up and down. The joy of receiving it was as if it was a gift.”

“When we opened the door and the food was there, my grandson was jumping up and down. The joy of receiving it was as if it was a gift.” – Sister Lovely Ali, Englewood, NJ Good Food at Home participant

Creating a “Legacy of Healthy Habits”

Eating healthy is extremely important for Sister Lovely, in part because her family has a history of diabetes and high blood pressure. Since participating in PHA’s Good Food at Home program, her and her family have been able to incorporate more produce like peas and green beans into their diet, including her grandson’s favorite fruit: grapes.

“One of the benefits of the Good Food at Home initiative is that people have the ability to choose,” said Nicole Davis, Executive Director of the Center for Food Action. “If you’ve never eaten eggplant before and I give you an eggplant, I now have to give you an entire tutorial on what to do with an eggplant. But if you give me the opportunity to select what speaks to my household from a cultural perspective, then I flourish.”

CFA has been committed to prioritizing guest choice and access to nutritious food since its inception in 1976. At their newly launched supermarket-style choice pantry in Mahwah, NJ, guests can select food items that best meet their needs and preferences, allowing them to maintain control over their food choices and dietary requirements. This client-choice model promotes dignity and respects the unique needs of each household. Beyond the Mahwah pantry, CFA also supports community members through regular food deliveries year-round, including fresh produce and meats, to ensure families have access to a consistent supply of nutritious food. Their partnership with PHA and Instacart not only complemented these ongoing efforts but also demonstrated CFA’s commitment to exploring new and innovative ways to fight food insecurity and improve the health and well-being of the community.

As for Sister Lovely, she credits the program with helping her family “create a legacy of healthy habits.” She says it’s the “program that keeps on giving” because they were able to freeze fruits and vegetables they didn’t use right away and use them later in things like soups and stews.

Building Good Food Cities

Good Food at Home is just one part of how we’re building Good Food Cities — cities where produce consumption is high and access is easy.

“Good Food Cities start with the Mayor’s office,” said Noreen Springstead, President & CEO of Partnership for a Healthier America, who sat down with Mayor Michael Wildes of Englewood, NJ to discuss their shared vision to improve food access and build a better food system for us all.

“When I hear ‘Good Food City,’ I think of the notion that if you give somebody a fishing rod and you teach them to fish, they’ll be a lot better off than just giving them a fish,” said Mayor Wildes. “If you show 15 communities, mayors, city councils, and other governing bodies, ‘This is what you can do with food,’ the neighboring communities will follow the right example.”