Partners

The ¡Más Fresco! More Fresh Program is a partnership between the University of California San Diego Center for Community Health, United States Department of Agriculture, Northgate González Market and community-based organizations across Southern California. The primary goal of this research program is to increase the purchase and consumption of fruits and vegetables among CalFresh participants by providing financial incentives at the point-of-purchase. We will also evaluate the impact of these financial incentives on purchasing and consumption behaviors. UC San Diego is working with the California Department of Social Services CalFresh Program and local CalFresh Agencies as well as the California Department of Health, local health departments, and their CalFresh Healthy Living partners to promote the ¡Más Fresco! More Fresh Program.

USDA NIFA

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) funds and supports innovative programs that address issues related to agriculture, food, the environment, and communities. Key USDA NIFA goals and objectives include enhancing food security and fighting hunger, as well as combating childhood obesity by ensuring the availability of affordable, nutritious, and safe food and providing individuals and families with science‐based nutritional guidance. The USDA NIFA Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program provides funding to conduct and evaluate projects that provide incentives to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers. By bringing together stakeholders from various parts of the food and healthcare systems, Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program grants help foster understanding to improve the health and nutrition status of participating households.

NTAE & Nutrition Incentive Hub

The Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation and Information Center (NTAE) and the Nutrition Incentive Hub are a national coalition of partners that support nutrition incentive and produce prescription projects by providing training, technical assistance, reporting, and evaluation support to Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program grantees toward the intended impact of increasing the purchase of fruits and vegetables by nutrition incentive, including SNAP, and produce prescription project participants. SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.

UC San Diego Center for Community Health 

UC San Diego Center for Community Health has a long history of working with public, private, and non-traditional partners to enhance the health and well-being of low-income community members with the goal of improving health equity. For over 15 years UC San Diego Center for Community Health has worked with the California Department of Public Health, San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency, and numerous other community-based organizations on the development and implementation of innovative health promotion and disease prevention programs, including nutrition education and obesity prevention programs.

Northgate González Market 

Northgate González Markets is the largest Hispanic grocery store retailer in the United States. Furthermore, Northgate has been recognized for its outstanding work to support community health and well-being through such initiatives as Viva La Salud, a program which provides an array of community health services, including free health screenings. Northgate works closely with local health departments, health-care organizations, and others to provide ongoing healthy retail and wellness activities, including cooking classes, food demonstrations, and other health education programs and services.  

California Department of Public Health 

The California Department of Public Health and the local health departments, in collaboration with their local CalFresh Health Living partners, provide extensive CalFresh Healthy Living (SNAP-Ed) support for healthy, active, and nourished lifestyles by teaching Californians about good nutrition and how to stretch their food dollars. They also build partnerships in communities to make the healthy choice the easy choice.

California Department of Social Services

The California Department of Social Services CalFresh Branch and the local county CalFresh Agencies oversee and administer the national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in California as the CalFresh Program, and the SNAP-Education Program, known in California as CalFresh Healthy Living.