For their participation, group members received up to $120 in vouchers to purchase fresh produce
FVRx program participants at Peter’s Market during the conclusion of a 10-session educational series lead by SNAP-Ed NY. (Courtesy photo)
ELLENVILLE, N.Y. — This past year, the board room at Ellenville Regional Hospital has been a home to community, conversations, collaborative learning, and laughter. Motivated to continue working towards their personal nutrition goals, residents of the Ellenville/Wawarsing area and patients of the Ellenville Regional Hospital’s Rural Health Network met for 10 sessions, enrolling in SNAP-Ed New York’s Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program through the support of the hospital’s nutritionist. For their participation, group members received up to $120 in vouchers to purchase fresh produce at Peter’s Market, a local, family-owned grocery store that has taken initiative in supporting the area following the closure of a major food retailer. While access to affordable, nutritious food continues to pose a challenge to families across the country, limiting availability in communities like Ellenville, community organizations and members proceed to offer innovative approaches to address barriers and increase resources.
Group members built on their knowledge and shared their own experiences and skills around food and nutrition, exchanging tips and tricks in a supportive space with facilitated conversations and guided learning by SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator Mary Brimmer. Classes highlighted the multifaceted nature of our relationships with food, with ties not only to personal health, but the environment, social and spiritual well-being, history, culture and experiences of joy and celebration. Topics explored eating healthy on a budget, obtaining and managing food resources, building culinary skills, reading labels, staying active and more. With shared input, new recipes were featured each lesson, integrating food items of interest along with resources typically provided by local pantries or received at the hospital’s own Farmacy program, which distributes food items bimonthly to community members facing food insecurity.
At the conclusion of the series, a “grocery store tour” was held at Peter’s Market. During this class, the group put their knowledge to their lived experience, navigating the store and identifying smart strategies to purchase nutritious, budget-friendly meals. This final session was bittersweet as warm friendships blossomed, and classes were looked forward to. In her reflections, one program participant shared, “This class has been super helpful for me. I talk about you [the program] all the time! I share the information with my daughter, and she’s been enjoying making the recipes!”
FVRx is a growing program offered in several areas throughout the Hudson Valley region. Within Ulster County, it has been a great success through the partnerships of SNAP-Ed NY, Ellenville Regional Hospital’s Rural Health Network and Peter’s Market and the financial contributions of Ulster Savings Bank. The program is set to continue with a new cohort beginning in February 2025.
If you are a patient of Ellenville Regional Hospital and would like to find out if you qualify for the program, please contact Nutritionist Courtney Jollie at [email protected] or by phone at (845) 647-6400, extension 205.
For more information about SNAP-Ed NY and the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program in the Hudson Valley, call 845-344-1234 or email [email protected]. You can also find recipes and tips to save time, save money, and eat healthy at www.snapedny.org.
–Cornell Cooperative Extension Ulster County