HMHP

HMHP

Fruits, vegetable program

The program helps Youngstown and Warren residents get access to fresh, affordable produce and improve their health.

Fast Facts

28 percent of Youngstown’s population lives more than 2 miles from a grocery store, and 18 percent cannot access a car to get to a grocery store.

Mahoning County ranked last among Ohio’s major counties for overall health, according to 2012 rankings from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

30 percent of adult residents in Mahoning County have high blood pressure, 42 percent are overweight, and 11 percent have type 2 diabetes.

Among black residents in Mahoning County, 51 percent have high blood pressure and 13 percent have diabetes — a number that exceeds Ohio’s state average by 63 percent.

Catholic Health Partners’ Mercy Outreach Grant Program and the HMHP Foundation have provided $35,000 from which the $25 patient vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables come. The produce is provided through the Lake-to-River Food Cooperative.

In 2013, patients spent nearly $7,200 at the two farmers’ markets.

Source: Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp., Humility of Mary Health Partners, Ohio Department of Health