Every day, millions of American families have to choose between putting healthy food on their table and paying their bills. Fruits and vegetables often lose out to a tank of gas or a rent payment, proving that making healthy food choices isn’t a choice at all.
In an effort to help the 44 million Americans who reply on SNAP (food stamps) put food on the table, organizations across the country collect and distribute donated food, usually in the form of canned, boxed, or otherwise packaged foods. But these well-intentioned acts of charity have a downside—diets high in processed food leads to diseases such as obesity and diabetes. (The New York Times covered this unfortunate trend last year in an article called “Food Banks Take on a Contributor to Diabetes: Themselves.”) Daily fruits and vegetables are essential to good health, but they’re often too expensive for slim budgets, so people in poverty disproportionately struggle with diet-related diseases.
Wholesome Wave believes that poverty should never be an obstacle to eating fruits and vegetables—and that healthy produce should be central to addressing hunger—which is why are grateful to Amp Your Good for helping put produce back on the menu for the people who need it most. The #GiveHealthy campaign—hailed as the largest healthy food drive in America—allows people to donate online by selecting from a list of curated healthy food items. Once the drive is over, the fresh foods will be delivered to people in need through participating hunger organizations. Goodbye cans, hello carrots.
#GiveHealthy makes healthy food a real option, both for those giving food donations and those receiving them. At Wholesome Wave, we believe real choice is the first step to real change.
