Fresh Food Incentive Program

Detroit Mercy’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students are bringing a Fresh Food Incentive Program to residents of the Fitzgerald Neighborhood and they need your help.

Diet-related diseases are increasingly becoming more of a public health concern at a national and local level. Research supports that a sufficient nutritional intake of fruits and vegetables will reduce the risk of chronic diseases and aid in body weight management. Unfortunately, most adults and children do not meet dietary recommendations for consumption of fruits and vegetables. According to the American Health Ranking database (2019), fruit and vegetable consumption in the state of Michigan is less that 6.5% in the adult population. Additionally low-income individuals are at higher risk for unhealthy dietary intake and obesity. The 2018 Detroit Community Health Assessment indicates that approximately 37% of adults and 19% of teens residing in Detroit are obese.

The Detroit Mercy/Fitzgerald Neighborhood Fresh Food Incentive Program is a 12-week program which allows a select number of elderly and/or disabled participants, nominated by their own Fitzgerald community, to properly and confidently select, prepare, and consume increased servings of fruits and vegetables at no charge. Participants will receive 6-weeks of in-home education by our Community Health nursing students, focusing on healthy nutrition and eating strategies aimed at gaining knowledge and improving overall health. 

During the first 6 weeks of the program, residents will receive 5 nutritiously prepared meals weekly. After this first phase of the program, they will then receive a box of fresh fruits, vegetable and spices every week along with healthy recipes to prepare them.

The DNP students will be gathering and tracking health data at the beginning and end of the program on each resident to determine whether the changes they made have had a positive impact on the residents’ health.

Similar programs have received positive feedback from participants, including 94 percent reporting eating more fruits and vegetables, with 75 percent of their family members eating more produce. Participants also reported a 19 percent decrease in consumption of unhealthy foods during the week, and 94 percent said they were able to manage their conditions better after participating in the program.

Your support of the program will allow our students to serve more residents as well as provide the funding needed to provide the meals and fresh fruits and vegetables and track the outcomes.

You can also give by mail

Make checks payable to Detroit Mercy

Write Fresh Food Incentive Program in the memo line. Mail check to Office of University Advancement, University of Detroit Mercy, 4001 W. McNichols, Detroit, MI 48221-3038