COVID-19 Fresh Food Fund

You can provide fresh fruits and vegetables for communities in need.

PHA and its partners make fresh, nutritious fruits and veggies accessible to families in need, as we collectively battle the COVID-19 pandemic, and look ahead to a post-COVID world.

COVID-19 has caused historic disruption and also brought insight and clarity. One glaring truth it has exposed is gross inequity throughout the food system at every level. Poor diets that have caused and exacerbated obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other diet-related chronic diseases are partly responsible for higher death rates among communities of color and those facing poverty.

This effort will direct nourishing, high-quality fruits and vegetables to individuals in need now, while creating a platform to raise awareness of the need for long-term changes to the food system that privilege better health for all.

Launched in partnership with the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), the fund and program will utilize PMA’s network of growers and distributors to box and ship fruits and vegetables to local coordinating partners across the country. Those partners will then redistribute food in ways that best meet the needs of their local community. Each box will include 50 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables, highlighting variety, seasonality and featuring a mix of foods that will empower individuals to make delicious, nourishing meals for themselves and their families.

Boxes will include a suite of free digital tools, complemented by our FNV campaign, that inspire participants to transform and celebrate fruits and vegetables.

Tools will include:

• Tips for extending shelf life and maximizing the use of fruits and vegetables
• Information on how to receive and store food safely, including how to properly wash fruits and vegetables
• Simple recipes, preparations, and cooking how-to’s