A new program designed to help children with chronic health conditions access affordable, healthy food has launched in the Walla Walla Valley. The Nourish Food Box Program, run by Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC), started distributing boxes in February and already has 37 participants enrolled.
Program Eligibility and Structure
The program is funded by Aging & Long Term Care of Southeast Washington, which approached BMAC with the concept. “We were excited to try this program, which was about connecting children with chronic health conditions to affordable, healthy food,” said Meike VanDonge, Blue Mountain Thrive Coordinator. “BMAC is interested in building thriving communities with food, housing and hope.”
The program is available to people in Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin counties. To be eligible, participants must be 20 or younger, or pregnant; be enrolled in Medicaid; be experiencing low food security; and have at least one clinical risk factor. Clinical risk factors include conditions such as diabetes, heart conditions, cancer, cystic fibrosis, eating disorders, and chronic behavioral health conditions.
Additional Support Services
Boxes include educational materials about food and health. “We named it the Nourish Food Box program because we’re really looking to support the family with nutrition as well as with tools and skills,” BMAC CEO Danielle Garbe Reser said. “Part of what we’re building out is the cooking and nutrition part of this program.”
BMAC has partnered with the Family Medical Center and Communities in Schools of the Blue Mountain Region to identify people who could benefit. Participants receive one food box per month for six months, with scheduled pickup times at BMAC’s location at 8 E. Cherry St. in Walla Walla. Anyone interested can call BMAC at 509-529-4980 or fill out a client inquiry form at tinyurl.com/5bkzvwe8.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/local/business/new-food-assistance-program-opens-at-bmac/article_ce64ecb3-d603-4cf3-a14b-64561dcc07c3.html