Fort Worth sprouts healthy living with Good For You pantry

Fort Worth sprouts healthy living with Good For You pantry

Published on June 09, 2023

Fresh produce is good; more fresh produce is better.

Residents living in and around Fort Worth's 76119 ZIP code now have more access to healthy, fresh produce with the opening of a Good For You Pantry at Eugene McCray Community Center, 4932 Wilbarger St.

Why it matters: The pantry, which offers no-cost fresh fruits and vegetables and other nutritional resources in a store-type setting, is the 13th location to be opened in Tarrant County by North Texas Healthy Communities, a nonprofit arm of Texas Health that implements Blue Zones Project in Fort Worth and other well-being initiatives across the region.

The 76119 ZIP code has a higher rate of people who suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes. Fresh fruit and vegetables play a vital role in mitigating or reversing the adverse impacts of these conditions.

In an effort to make healthy produce more accessible to residents, in May 2021 North Texas Healthy Communities launched its Fresh Access program at the community center, distributing bags of fresh produce twice a month. But the increased need in the area prompted North Texas Healthy Communities to shift its support at the center to a Good For You Pantry, which will provide no-cost access to even more fresh produce on a much more frequent basis.

Program hours: Individuals and families can now access the McCray pantry weekly from 2-6 p.m. on Tuesdays; 4-7:45 p.m. on Wednesdays; and 2-4 p.m. and 6-7:45 p.m. on Thursdays.

Additionally, residents can also choose their own fresh produce and other nutritious staples at a convenient and trusted neighborhood location. Like most community centers, McCray is a well-recognized hub for social connectivity and other resources for community members, representing a range of generations and ethnicities. The hours are set so the pantry can serve more families who come to various programs during those times.

How it's funded: McCray's Good For You Pantry is possible thanks to a grant from the American Rescue Plan Act, administered by Tarrant County. Seven additional Good For You Pantry locations will be opened throughout the county by the end of 2024 through the grant.

Dive deeper: North Texas Healthy Communities opened its first Good For You Pantry in November 2019 at Fort Worth ISD's Daggett Middle School.

• The program now has pantry locations at nine additional schools, as well as Fortress Youth Development Center and LVTRise Community Center, both in Fort Worth.
• Last year alone, the Good For You Pantry program distributed 127,835 pounds of produce, serving more than 25,000 people.
• The program also supplements fresh produce offerings with nutrition education, healthy recipes and cooking demonstrations that help recipients create tasty and wholesome meals at home.

What they're saying: The goal of the Good For You Pantry program is to make healthy options more affordable and accessible in communities with the greatest needs, said Matt Dufrene, vice president of North Texas Healthy Communities/Texas Health. "We know that fruits and vegetables can make a measurable difference in well-being," Dufrene said. "This is just one of the ways we are working to create a healthier community and reduce the incidence of chronic disease."

Other North Texas Healthy Communities initiatives include Double Up Food Bucks, which enables people eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to double their savings on fresh produce at participating farmers markets and grocers. A Culled Produce Recovery Project diverts unsold grocery produce to pantries and urban farms. North Texas Healthy Communities also provides support for learning gardens at dozens of area schools.

Learn more: Contact Eugene McCray Community Center at 817-392-7146.

Photo:Residents can now choose their own fresh produce and other nutritious staples at a convenient and trusted neighborhood location, Eugene McCray Community Center.

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