San Diego County CA—Home Start, Inc., a San Diego nonprofit organization whose mission is to assure the safety and resiliency of children by strengthening families and their communities, has received a $5,000 grant from The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. The grant will expand Home Start’s CalFresh Benefits Enrollment to Help Prevent Childhood Obesity and target low-income families with children under 18 years old who do not have access to fresh, healthy food and are at high risk for obesity and diabetes.
From now until September 2019, the grant will support the program’s goal to enroll a minimum of 300 families with children under 18.
Home Start’s CalFresh Benefits Enrollment Program addresses the Sprouts Foundation’s mission by broadening access to health and nutrition education and healthy food, empowering individuals and children to live healthier lives. Through enrolling vulnerable and low-income families into CalFresh, Home Start is providing them access to nutritious food which they might otherwise not have. The goal is to change the trajectory of families with children who grow up eating junk food with no access to fresh fruits and vegetables, to children eating nourishing food.
According to recent Hunger Free San Diego research, approximately one in six people in San Diego County are food insecure- they do not have enough food to eat each day, and to live an active, healthy lifestyle.
Food insecure families tend to live on limited budgets and purchase less expensive, high-calorie foods, which can contribute to weight gain and obesity, as well as an increased risk of developing more chronic illnesses, including diabetes. Home Start has built years of experience and trust within at-risk communities. It’s culturally competent, bilingual staff are experts at providing resources to help improve access to better, more nutritious foods to help low-income children stay healthy with a well-balanced diet.
Home Start’s mission is to assure the safety and resiliency of children by strengthening families and their communities. Its vision is for every child in San Diego to have a safe, stable, and nurturing home.