GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – People in East Gainesville now have access to a new program to help people eat better. Volunteers with the new Pleasant Street Civil Rights and Cultural Arts Center held a soft open and a food giveaway on Thursday.

The program is a pharmacy prescription food program, meant to prioritize healthy foods as medicine. Organizers want people with heart problems to sign up to get healthy food four days out of the week.

The food giveaway will be open bi-weekly.

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“Over the last 5 years, I recognized the importance of healthy food and healthy eating specifically in the East Gainesville community where a disproportionate amount of community members have cardiovascular diseases,” said Pastor Gerard Duncan, the founder of Food is Medicine Center.

The center is at the Manning Building at 1817 E University Ave. It is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

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