Progress 05/15/16 to 02/14/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The USDA Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program is a multi-year initiative focused on improving the dietary health of local community members. The intent is to increase "the purchase of fruit and vegetables among low-income consumers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), by providing incentives at the point of purchase." YPI offered the program to SNAP eligible families that reside in the East Hollywood area and surrounding communities within the LA Promise Zone. The Food and Nutrition team of the Health and Wellness (H&W) Department of the Youth Policy Institute managed the program. 2-3 H&W staff members (Supervisor, Coordinator and, at times, a volunteer) have worked on this initiative since its implementation. The incentive program took on 3 separate iterations, in an attempt to broaden access and reach more families within the Promise Zone. The three tracks included: the Vons/Pavilions Voucher program, the Sam's Plus Neighborhood Market Voucher program, and the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farmer's market program. Qualifying participants had the opportunity to enroll in one of the three program tracks. Participants were not allowed to enroll in more than one program track through the grant period. All programs tracks were subsidized. All participants, across all three tracks, had a mandatory Enrollment & Consent form on file. All participants also filled out an EBT verification form, signed our application and responded to a pre-survey. Participants attended one or more required informative nutrition workshops during the program, as stated in the application. The workshop educated consumers on the importance of eating fresh produce, and included an explanation of dietary guidelines/portions, how to read/interpret food labels, as well as how to effectively shop for healthy goods on a budget. Participants also completed a post-survey near the end, or at the end, of their program. Data collected through these surveys quantified progress made toward a positive change to their diets, by assessing their increase in fruit and vegetable consumption. Data from surveys also provided key information regarding participants' increased knowledge of good nutrition, as increased by completion of the nutrition workshops. Several measurable outputs where set as quantifiable goals for the program. Through the program, we encountered hurdles identified by the Food and Nutrition staff, and our team worked with partners and participants to develop effective solutions. One such hurdle was the drop off in attendance of CSA clients, early on in the grant. We surveyed clients to try to identify a common reason as to why some clients (approx. 25% of the total) would drop out mid-program. After assessing the situation and speaking to clients, staff realized that the original reduced CSA box price of $10 was still an economic strain on some participants. For this reason, the Food and Nutrition staff restructured the program and changed the subsidized cost of the boxes from $10 to $5. YPI's cost remained $20 per box. Staff also reached out to local food banks during this time and began our partnerships, supplying CSA participants with more variety of supplemental produce in greater quantities than previously provided. The supplemental produce provided an incentive to apply for and remain in the program for current participants. These strategies proved effective, as participant attendance and purchases became consistent. Another hurdle encountered pertained to survey responses, an issue affecting one of the 6 measures we were tasked to reach. Language on the originally translated survey (most participants were Spanish speakers) proved confusing for some participants, with answers that did not accurately represent their experience. YPI staff adjusted the survey language to help make self-reporting more accurate. Overall, YPI staff re-strategized outreach efforts and implemented new methods to broaden our scope and increase effectiveness of services and produce boxes. Collaborating with YPI schools and expanding program to other sites, as well as engaging stakeholders and promoting the program across the Los Angeles Promise Zone, vital in achieving our final goals. The USDA FINI program objective was to increase access to fresh produce in low income households, who happen to reside in produce deserts, by providing SNAP recipients with several incentive options. We were tasked with reaching 400 SNAP recipients to enroll in 1 of 3 program tracks. All but one of the 6 measurable output goals were met and exceeded. In total, the USDA FINI program at YPI enrolled 676 participants in one of our 3 tracks. This exceeds our final goal by more than 250 enrollees. 310 participants were enrolled in our CSA program, the rest were enrolled in either track 2 (Vons Voucher Program) or track 3 (Sam's Plus local neighborhood market). 340 participants attended a nutrition workshop and also reported an increase in knowledge of good nutrition on their post survey. This exceeded our goal of 300 participants. Our final results indicated that 59% of all of our participants reported consuming 5 or more fruit/vegetables per day. In total, 72% of our participants reported an increase in consumption of fruits and vegetables. The final goal was not met by 8% as the outcome was that 80% of participants reported an increase in consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. The outcome was measured through self-reported pre/post questions. We found that participants often reported a higher consumption rate in the pre-test, as the question was framed in a way that didn't yield the most accurate response. Midway through the program we realized the error in how the question was presented and was able to get more accurate responses which changed the percentage drastically. Overall, the program proved to be quite successful in creating a positive change in participant's eating habits, and it granted access to affordable, healthy food/produce to over 670 households in the target Los Angeles communities, which included the East San Fernando Valley, East Hollywood, and Pico-Union. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Food and Nutrition team, as well as the rest of the H&W Department, participated in workshops and enrichment events during the grant period. As a department, staff had a full day with LA Kitchen, a CSA partner, where they learned how LA Kitchen runs their own food access programs. Staff learned valuable information on the systems in place, and helped with preparing meals and produce bags. Throughout the FINI program, staff assisted at several community health events, such as health fairs, resource fairs and Expos. Staff coordinated and executed several Health Expo events, as well as supported other events coordinated by partners or other departments. H & W staff created and nurtured partnership with 2 health clinics, and several other community-based organizations whose missions align with FINI's goal of viable, healthy food access. Through these partnerships, staff became engaged in the world of food access and not only became informed on the importance of this work, but gained knowledge on how to effectively run such programs to support high-need participants. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The FINI program targeted communities within the Los Angeles Promise Zone that have poor access to fresh produce that are targeted as food deserts in low-income neighborhoods. These communities are not only interested in food access programs, but urgently need these resources. Outreach efforts included meeting with stakeholders in these areas, identifying potential school partners, and contacting existing YPI staff already serving these neighborhoods with supportive services. The program distributed fliers and informative literature to disseminated information for community residents, and students and families attending partnering schools. All participants attended a required information workshop regarding nutrition and the importance of healthy foods. All participants received a printed copy of the nutrition workshop power point presentation. The Food and Nutrition team collaborated with other YPI departments to reach eligible participants they serve by providing CSA produce boxes and facilitating informative nutrition health workshops. Such events took place at several school sites, Expo Fairs, and with our Early Head Start families. "The Youth Policy Institute's Department of Health and Wellness strives to eradicate the cycles of poverty by taking a holistic approach to the development and implementation of our work." The USDA FINI program, specifically the Community Supported Agriculture program, is an example of how we put participants at the forefront of operations while providing them with an opportunity to learn and share resources with their communities and families. When deciding to mobilize the CSA program, our department partnered with the community center at the San Fernando Gardens housing project. Located in Pacoima, California, this community is within a food desert where many people are consuming unhealthy foods. The program generates hundreds of pounds of fresh produce that is distributed to the community weekly with a goal of increasing not only healthy food consumption, but also empowering participants through nutrition education. This healthy produce helps participants to learn how to incorporate new ingredients into their diet. The community has responded with enthusiasm to these resources and have expressed strong interest in consuming healthier meals because of chronic illnesses that have greatly impacted their families. CSA at San Fernando Gardens has been successful in our grassroots efforts to increase healthy food consumption and knowledge. Now that the program has ended, people from the housing community still reach out to us, both in an attempt to thank us for the affordable produce, and to urge to return with a similar program in the future. It is very apparent that isolated, low-income communities in food deserts not only have a strong need for produce access, but greatly appreciate and welcome any efforts made. It is not only the San Fernando Gardens community that expressed gratitude for this program, but also all participants from all 3 tracks we served across all sites. Multiple participants followed up to encourage us to continue similar programs, and to express just how valuable they believe low-cost produce access is to their health, and the health of their families. This is an on-going issue in our communities. Efforts must continue for people with these types of programs, who often lack the opportunity and knowledge needed to make healthier choices on their own. We have a young couple who started the program near the end of its run. Johana was the one who signed up, as she and husband recently had a baby, and all three of them would come to purchase their CSA boxes weekly. They have specifically mentioned that this program has been a great help for them. Johana and her husband have now signed up for our new free Food Pantry program and will continue to build the long-term health of their family through healthy eating and nutrition awareness. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
As of December 31st, 2018, 676 participants enrolled in one of 3 program tracks, providing affordable access to fresh produce in what is considered a food desert. The goal of 400 enrolled participants was exceeded by 267, an astonishing accomplishment, allowing nearly 300 more families to benefit from this incentive program. 366 participants were enrolled in one of our 2 voucher programs (Sam's Plus and Vons), and 310 total were enrolled in our CSA program. Through the CSA, a total of 1,416 produce boxes were sold through the program, providing access to affordable produce across the entire LA Promise Zone. With the help of our partnership with the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, local food banks, schools and other YPI sites, we managed to reach clients from multiple Los Angeles neighborhoods from Pacoima to Pico Union and beyond. As a result, by way of the nutrition workshops, 340 participants reported an increase in knowledge of good nutrition. This granted them vital tools necessary to make cost-effective healthy food choices even after they leave the program. This exceeded our goal of 300 reporting an increase in knowledge. Nearly three quarters of participants surveyed also reported an increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables, with more than half consuming 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. This will be our final reporting period, as we have reached the end of our no-cost extension and the program is no longer running. The H&W Food and Nutrition team has continued our partnership with food banks (LA Food Bank, Food Finders and Food Forward). We have created a new, free pantry program for participants that will run out of the FSC. There will be no SNAP requirement to register, as the program will be open to all. There will also be no cost to clients, as all produce and pantry goods obtained are free to participants. Distribution will take place several times a week, with participants allowed to pick up goods once a week. Household size determines the number of goods participants may receive. We know there is a severe need for healthier food options, as access in this part of East Hollywood is very limited and cost prohibits a lot of our community members from making healthier food purchases. It is because of that need, and at the request of our former FINI participants, that we will offer this new free pantry program out of the FSC for as long as we can.
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Progress 05/15/17 to 05/14/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for the Los Angeles Promise Zone Food Insecurity and Nutrition Initiative (LAPZ FINI) project will be lowincome families living within the Los Angeles Promise Zone (LAPZ). Throughout the LAPZ, the high poverty rates create an ideal location for the LAPZ FINI Project. In Los Angeles, portions of the LAPZ are classified by the USDA as Low Income/Low Access, and the overall poverty in the Zone is 35% (ACS 2007-11). Almost one-quarter (24.9%) of Promise Zone households earn less than $15,000 each year, in contrast to only 15.5% of households citywide (Census 2010, Esri 2013 forecast). The Zone is 59% Latino, 18% Asian, 17% white, and 4% African American (ACS 2008-12). The program model will allow YPI to test an incentive program designed to encourage SNAP recipients to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption thereby changing patterns of consumption and nutritional behaviors. It will also bring great benefit to a community struggling to make ends meet, particularly with the recent cuts to SNAP benefits. YPI is especially interested in the USDA FINI model because we know families want to eat healthier, but often cannot afford to do so. In the LAPZ, located in LA County Service Planning Area (SPA) 4, 20% of SPA 4 residents are obese and 32% are overweight, and only 15% of adults report having eaten the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables in the past day (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health). Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Through this project, our team accesses opportunities for training and professional development to better understand neighborhood and community need faced by clients served in our program. One key training took place during the Los Angeles Promise Zone (LAPZ) Neighborhood working group meeting, this meeting gathers key stakeholders in the community to discuss solution-based approaches to eradicate poverty. The working group meeting held this past May focused on fresh food access in the community. Organizations with fresh food access programming discussed their work and promoted efforts to collaborate. YPI staff learned about resources and services provided by other neighborhood organizations in the LAPZ that could help strengthen the FINI program and the outcomes for our program participants. Our staff also presented on the work of YPI's Health and Wellness department with a focus on best practices developed through the FINI grant. This promoted a dialogue regarding barriers to fresh food access within the LAPZ and specific tools and collaboration opportunities to address them. The YPI USDA FINI team also attended local community fairs and health events to promote our FINI programs. Parents learned about available services when we attended events at schools which was a main point of outreach for our participants. Our team networked with local schools to participate in these events and created relationships with administration to ensure program sustainability. Over the course of the program the staff have partnered with 10 schools, 2 clinics and participated in over 15 health fairs. Our team had multiple opportunities to develop creative thinking strategies when determining outreach locations, distributing promotion materials, and facilitating the program. Specifically, with CSA, opportunities were created to work with South Central Farmers a farming co-op that provides fresh, local and organic fruits/vegetables to ensure sustainability of the programming. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?FINI program results have been disseminated to communities of interest through four main practices. In the first, we distribute informative flyers, cooking recipes and material regarding available programming to local businesses, schools, and community centers. The goal is to reach roughly 300 potential participants through the second practice of direct engagement with the community through events such as the YPI Health and Wellness Family Fitness Expo that was hosted at two different schools in spring 2018. Targeting schools results in direct enrollment of participants in the program because of the interpersonal interactions with families. Participants also learn about the program through word of mouth and recommendations from existing and former program participants. Finally, the dissemination of information also occurs at YPI's multiple sites. Most recently, the FINI team partnered with YPI's Early Head Start center to educate parents of young children regarding benefits and nutrition found in kale. Our staff distributed information and held a raffle to promote the program and continue the message of healthy nutrition and the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables every day. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our participant outreach over the next reporting period will be through our partnership with MacArthur Park and their Levitt Pavilion Summer Concert Series. Every Sunday between June-September 2018, the YPI Health and Wellness department will attend this series. We will promote the CSA program and offer information targeted to the low-income Pico Union/Westlake community of in the LAPZ.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
As of March 31st, 2018, 533 participants enrolled in at least one 1 of the 3 program tracks providing them access to fresh fruits and vegetables in their community. In enrolling these participants, YPI greatly exceeded our program goal of 400 participants (133% of enrollment goal). This was a three-part effort that provided the community a variety of methods to obtaining fresh food access. YPI distributed a total of 644 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes to 168 participants enrolled in the USDA FINI program. YPI distributed a total of $105,700 in vouchers to Vons clients at the Youth Policy Institute Family Source Center, as well as through our partnership with the Los Angeles Food Policy Council. Through these efforts, 64% of survey respondents reported an improvement in their fruit and vegetable consumption and 49% of those surveyed reported consuming 5 or more fruits/vegetables per day which is the recommended daily consumption. During this reporting period, we changed the way we interpreted pre-post knowledge assessments- instead of measuring knowledge gains using 1 item of the survey, we measured increases in knowledge based on 1 or more of 6 items on the survey. If a client reported a knowledge gain in one area but not in any of the 5 other areas, we counted that as a gain. 242 enrolled participants completed a nutrition workshop and reported an increased knowledge of good nutrition. The goal was to reach 300 participants. To date we have reached 73% of our goal, reflecting the challenges we faced disseminating nutritional knowledge through workshops and reading material. The program has now made adjustments to allow for participants to use survey submission through online portal, over the phone communication and in person as the challenge we faced bringing participants back to submit a post survey has been reduced.
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Progress 05/15/16 to 05/14/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The intended individuals that have been targeted are those who have limited access to fresh produce. The surrounding communities are at the lower end of the socio-economic scale, but we have been, intentionally, targeting those enclaves that have a very limited amount of grocery stores that offer fresh fruits/vegetables. The target audience is primarily low-income families living in the Hollywood, East Hollywood, and Koreatown communities that continue to face serious economic and social challenges and whom are enrolled in the SNAP benefit program. The intention is to affect those families who are nutritionally deprived, provide them with nutritional resources and produce, so that they may positively influence their diets and the diets of their children. The programs final goal is to enroll 400 participants, which will hopefully have an impact for not just the individual participants, but the families as a whole. Overall, we intend to make these families feel welcomed and provide a space where we can engage with the participants. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided for several opportunities for training and professional development such as the Los Angeles Food Policy Council that hosted an event called "The Fight For Food." The event provided a panel of speakers that spoke about ways to bring more equality in our communities around food access. Some of the topics discussed ranged from working more as team to equal pay. The forum also discussed the importance of learning more about what the consumer needs and values. Staff found that information to be really helpful as it can make a significant difference with a client opposed to presenting them with material that we think they need. As a department, we have been able to discuss different outreach and marketing strategies. We have challenged each other to be objective in finding different solutions and approaches. As a team we've set outreach schedules and have done a lot of the footwork together. This strategy proved to be more than an outreach effort, but also an opportunity for us to learn about our own work-styles and how we each engage with the community. The USDA FINI Youth Policy Institute team has had the opportunity to sit down and discuss our experiences in an effort to inform our future decisions about how we approach our program goals. The ability to participate in other workshops with the entirety of the Health and Wellness department where we've discussed several topics, including: Cultural Sensitivity, Community Engagement, Learning/Teaching Styles, Language tools, etc. has also added a bit of confidence to the work the team implements daily. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Outreach has been executed twofold: 1- by disseminating informative reading materials to local businesses 2- by engaging directly with the community Outreach has been focused on neighborhoods with limited access to markets that offer fresh produce, and/or communities of low SES families who are more likely participating in SNAP. Efforts have been made to saturate said communities with literature informing them of the programs we offer. Strong efforts have been made in engaging with community members in conversations about their fruit and vegetable consumption as a way of enlightening them of their nutritional needs, this approach has been very fruitful. Targeting these specific populations by focusing on these communities has garnered more interest and higher enrollment rates, rather than solely disseminating informative materials to the general public. [One example of this more hands on direct approach, the team set up a outreach station in one of the target neighborhoods, in an area with high foot traffic, and we engaged pedestrians in conversations about nutrition. We then informed the pedestrians of our programs, handed out informative materials and accepted applications for the program on the spot. The team also compiled a list of interested participants who did not have the time to sign up immediately to follow up with at a later date. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Upon evaluating past efforts, in order to have a more sustainable impact, and wider reach, there should be a focus on program retention rate and refine outreaching efforts.For maintaining a higher retention rate, feedback was asked from those participants who have dropped out of the program. Strategies are being developed to address those concerns that led them to leaving the program, in an effort to keep current participants engaged and active. A plan is in the process to refine our outreaching efforts by participating in more community engagement, which includes attending any community events in neighborhoods that may benefit from our programs. A calendar will be developed of upcoming community events for our review on a monthly basis. Also, a plan to continue to have staff stationed in high foot-traffic areas where they can have conversations with pedestrians about their fruit/veggie consumption. Lastly, a plan to continue to target those populations that are most in need by doing more groundwork and turf scouting. Aside from these new approaches and strategies the plan is to maintain the current efforts and outreach schedules.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
As of Q1 Of 2016, 174 families, who receive SNAP benefits, have enrolled in one of three programs, enabling them to obtain fresh fruits and vegetables from local sources. This is 40% of the final program goal of 400 participants. A total amount of 315 Community Supported Agriculture(CSA) boxes have been distributed to families enrolled in the USDA FINI program and $16,350 VONS vouchers have been provided to SNAP qualified recipients. It has been a grassroots effort of making contact with participants of the Youth Policy Institute Family Source Center, the resource center where the program is housed. Our initial outreach strategies have provided a steady enrollment rate this past year, but as we approached an eventual lull in sign-ups, we were presented with an opportunity to rethink our strategies. One of the challenges that we have come across is depleting our main outreach resource (Family Source Center) and finding ourselves having to make contact with members of the community who are not participants of the Family Source Center; a task we have recently met with great progress. Youth Policy Institute has extended our outreach efforts through community events, convening stakeholders in the community that provide additional resources, and the development of a street team that canvases the Los Angeles Promise Zone regularly for potential participants. Another challenge we have come across is maintaining a high retention rate: some participants have opted out of the program before completion. We have followed up with those participants, in an effort to address whatever issues/concerns led them to drop out. For the most part, it was an issue of transportation or availability. We have since developed pick up locations that are in close proximity for clients that may have to obtain these resources by foot.
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