These Two Ladies are Taking Positive Action to Helping Maricopa County Veterans fight Food Insecurity with Veggie for Veterans Free Produce Program.

Hello Community, I am so grateful when I can share positive events happening.

VEGGIE FOR VETERANS, a program this is partnered with Gregory's Fresh Market.

Held five times a year at the Carl T. Hayden VA, Veggies-for-Veterans is a program started by Dr. Izabel Kozak, assistant chief of staff for Community Medicine, bringing together community partners to offer healthy food choices for Veterans.

In addition to the five-times a year program at VA, the program delivers fresh produce monthly to Victory Place, a local 107-bed Veteran transitional housing facility.

The primary community partner behind Veggies-for-Veterans, Gregory’s Fresh Market, a local 501-c3, is focused on providing healthy food options for area seniors and Veterans

Diana Gregory founded the program more than 11 years ago. She coordinates sponsors, volunteers and produce vendors to provide thousands of pounds of produce to area seniors and Veterans every month.

“I’m fulfilling a promise I made to myself as a little girl,” said Gregory. “We’re all about providing seniors and Veterans with nutritious foods to help combat nutrition insecurity.”

Fresh fruits and vegetables are an essential part of any healthy diet. A goal of the program is to help educate Veterans about diabetes and the role a healthy diet has in preventing or controlling diabetes.

https://dianagregory.com

Gregory’s Fresh Market (GFM), a division of Diana Gregory Outreach Services and a 501 (c)(3) organization, is a mobile produce market which operates in senior communities without easy access to healthy food.

Through a holistic approach, including education to increase senior understanding and acceptance of making healthy food choices, community organizing and advocacy, Gregory’s Fresh Market is working to restore meaningful food access and eliminate health disparities in under-resourced communities. Community dwelling seniors who participate in Gregory’s Fresh Market will not only have access to fresh produce, they will also have the opportunity to regularly participate in educational programs that teach simple solutions for healthy cooking, healthy eating and incorporating appropriate fitness. The mission is to enrich lives

Many residents live in "food deserts" where resident are more than one mile from fresh and healthy food. In Phoenix there are 43 food deserts which are more than 75% of the total number of food deserts in Maricopa County.

Food-insecurity and hunger affect far too many Arizonans, including some of our population’s most vulnerable: senior citizens. 46 million people in the U.S. are over the age of 65. Of that 46 million, 2.8 million seniors live in food-insecure households, and an additional 1.2 million seniors who live alone are also food-insecure. Arizona is home to 1.1 million seniors. 15.4 percent of those seniors are food-insecure. Although there are programs and organizations working to aide these community members, a lack of knowledge and stigmas surrounding food assistance are inhibiting true progress.

Veterans in Maricopa county are impacted by this reality daily. Veggie for Veterans, is one way to help assist veterans who face food-insecurity.

Here is a video of the event!!

https://juniquesewv2.s3.amazonaws.com/DGOS/veggieforvets_7-19_2022.mp4

Please share this info with your veteran community. We may be able to bring this program to you!!!!