Fresh to You: Multilevel Approaches in Low Income Housing to Increase F&V Intake

Intervention sites received regularly-scheduled, discount, fresh F\&V markets for one year during the first two weeks of each month. The markets brought between 50-70 different produce items, including culturally desired ethnic produce. Markets at the senior and disabled housing complexes were held indoors as were markets at family housing complexes during inclement weather. In good weather, markets were held outside at the family complexes using a mobile retrofitted car trailer. The produce items were set up in racks on three sides of the trailer and shoppers entered through the rear door. FTY markets accepted cash, debit/credit cards and EBT cards (SNAP). Each market lasted two hours and the produce was sold at prices 15%-25% lower than local retail supermarket prices.

Each household in the housing site received a reusable shopping bag that contained a binder with: an overview page, sleeves to store 12 newsletters, three DVDs and 48 recipe cards. The 20-minute DVDs included cooking demonstrations, tips and testimonials. A two-page, full-color newsletter was delivered each household each month. It had information about a particular F\&V in season as well as other tips and recipes. Two 6-week long educational and motivational campaigns were also offered: ''Just Add 2', and 'Color Your Plate'. Both campaigns included full-color campaign booklets, goal-setting activities, educational and motivational content, and F\&V trackers with incentives/prizes for completing and turning in the trackers. All materials were provided in English and Spanish.

We contracted with the Greater Providence YMCA to bring to provide physical activity and stress reduction programming. Two, six-week campaigns followed the same format and timing of the intervention group campaigns. Campaigns participants received a free, 6-week membership to the YMCA. The 'Take 10!' campaign aimed to increase participants' daily physical activity by 10 minutes per day until they reached the goal of at least 30-60 minutes per day. The second campaign was 'Stress Less' aimed to help participants reduce the amount of stress that they experienced by including relaxation activity into their daily routine.