DENVER FAMILIES TO RECEIVE FREE HEALTHY MEAL KITS AT YMCA LOCATIONS TO BUILD FOOD EQUITY

News provided by

Mar 31, 2022, 09:00 ET

In Collaboration with the YMCA of Metro Denver and Genuine Foods, the Partnership for a Healthier America's 'Good Food for All' Program Will Bring Free Meal Kits to 400 Families for Two Weeks

DENVER, March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting April 9, 2022, 400 Denver families will receive free, delicious, and nutritious plant-based meal kits. Each family will receive a free meal kit every week for two weeks from the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), the YMCA of Metro Denver, and Genuine Foods through PHA's national 'Good Food for All' program to combat food insecurity and create equitable access to healthy and sustainable food.

Families can sign up to reserve a free weekly meal kit for two weeks at genuinemeals.com and pick up the kits at one of the following two convenient YMCA locations and times:

University Hills YMCA: 3901 E Yale Avenue, Denver CO 80210
Pick up: April 9 & 16 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Aurora YMCA: 6100 S Kewaunee Way, Aurora CO 80016
Pick up: April 23 & 30 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

After the two-week trial, meal kits will be available for sale at half-off for one week at each location directly from Genuine Foods. Meal kits are originally priced at $47.49 per kit or less than $4 per meal - prices lower than fast food or other commercial meal kits.

According to the Denver Department of Public Health, food insecurity has tripled during the pandemic and 33% of Denver's total population does not have access to fresh fruits and vegetables due to financial strain, lack of access to reliable transportation to a grocery store, and other reasons. In partnership with the YMCA of Metro Denver and Genuine Foods, PHA's 'Good Food for All' program aims to provide emergency food to support families in need while creating long-term, sustained access to affordable produce in communities that need it most.

"We envision a world where every person - in every zip code - has long lasting and affordable access to food that promotes health and wellbeing," said Jason Wilson, Vice President of Marketing and Development, Partnership for a Healthier America. "By working with partners like the YMCA of Metro Denver and Genuine Foods, we're getting closer to achieving food equity by creating solutions that make access to affordable, quality food a long-term reality for families in need."

"The YMCA of Metro Denver is committed to building strong, thriving and equitable communities and nurturing spirit, mind and body," said Sue Glass, CEO of YMCA of Metro Denver. "We seek opportunities to meet the needs of our neighbors and this partnership with PHA and Genuine Foods, as well as the work through our Beyond Hunger food pantry program, helps uplift our community so that everyone can grow and thrive."

"Our Genuine Foods team developed these meal kits with consideration for the everyday realities and challenges people might face, such as limited access to grocery stores or lack of time to cook from scratch," said Jennifer Calloway, Chief Program Officer at Genuine Foods. "We hope every meal kit will engage people in the cooking process, and introduce them to new recipes that can be affordably replicated."

Meal kits contain all of the ingredients and recipes needed to cook three plant-based meals for a family of four. Examples of recipes included in the meal kits are Char Roasted Broccoli Parm & Garlicky Pasta, Buffalo Cauliflower, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew, Veggieful Enchiladas.

Recipes from the meal kits will be available to taste during the YMCA's Flex Your Family events on April 2 from 11am-1pm at the University Hills YMCA and on April 9 from 11am - 1pm at the Aurora YMCA.

Launched in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, PHA's 'Good Food for All' program provides families with short term access to produce each week, laying the groundwork for long term change. The program works to increase food access and equity by piloting and developing sustainable, marketplace solutions to increase affordable access to fruits and vegetables across the country.

About Partnership for a Healthier America
Founded in partnership with the MIchelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign, Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is the premier nationwide nonprofit working to create lasting, systemic changes that transform the food landscape in pursuit of health equity. PHA develops evidence-based approaches that are implemented in partnership with the private sector, nonprofits, and government, leveraging PHA's assets and the partner's knowledge to accelerate the pace of transformation. For more information, visit www.ahealthieramerica.org

About YMCA of Metro Denver
The YMCA of Metropolitan Denver is dedicated to the health and well being of all. As a catalyst to transform lives and communities, our programs are embedded throughout metro Denver in wellness centers and through partnerships with other nonprofits and community-serving agencies. Each year, the Y brings together over 72,000 children, teens, members, and volunteers to develop a new generation of change makers, advocate for health and well-being, and uplift communities. The Y is one of 2,700 YMCA organizations nationwide, collectively helping more than 21 million people learn, grow, and thrive. To join, donate, or get more information, visit www.denverymca.org.

About Genuine Foods
Genuine Foods delivers high quality, fresh, culturally relevant food service programs to K-12 schools, higher education, seniors and communities across the country. With an emphasis on fresh ingredients, regional supplier relationships and meals that celebrate local cultures and communities, Genuine Foods aims to improve the lives and livelihoods of people and communities so that their most vulnerable members can flourish. More at www.genuinefoods.com.

SOURCE Partnership for a Healthier America