IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i17p9175-d626151.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Innovative Partnerships to Address Food Insecurity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Brighter Bites Produce Voucher Program

Author

Listed:
  • Amier Haidar

    (Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, 1200 Pressler Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Christine Markham

    (Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, 1200 Pressler Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Allison Marshall

    (Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, 1200 Pressler Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Ru-Jye Chuang

    (Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, 1200 Pressler Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Meredith Spence

    (Brighter Bites, Houston, TX 77029, USA)

  • Jennifer Boone

    (Brighter Bites, Houston, TX 77029, USA)

  • Mike Pomeroy

    (Brighter Bites, Houston, TX 77029, USA)

  • Rich Dachman

    (Brighter Bites, Houston, TX 77029, USA)

  • Jaimie N. Davis

    (Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78723, USA)

  • Shreela V. Sharma

    (Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, 1200 Pressler Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

Abstract

The purpose of this communication is to describe the Brighter Bites produce voucher program, and its implementation and utilization across Brighter Bites families in four cities in the U.S., during the COVID-19 pandemic. The voucher program was implemented over nine weeks starting April 2020, with up to four USD 25 store-specific produce coupons sent bi-weekly to the homes of each participating Brighter Bites family (USD 100 total/family). Measures included type of produce purchased, amount of voucher that was used, number of vouchers distributed and redeemed by families, and a post-program participant satisfaction survey. Descriptive statistics, including count, frequency, and percent, were computed, both overall and stratified by city. During this time, Brighter Bites distributed a total of over 43,982 vouchers to 12,482 low-income families, with a redemption rate of 60% (at least one voucher redeemed) across all cities. During times of crisis, non-profit–for-profit partnerships, such as the one between Brighter Bites and the grocery retail industry, are feasible, and successful in providing produce to families in need.

Suggested Citation

  • Amier Haidar & Christine Markham & Allison Marshall & Ru-Jye Chuang & Meredith Spence & Jennifer Boone & Mike Pomeroy & Rich Dachman & Jaimie N. Davis & Shreela V. Sharma, 2021. "Innovative Partnerships to Address Food Insecurity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Brighter Bites Produce Voucher Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-10, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9175-:d:626151
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9175/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9175/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dariush Mozaffarian & Junxiu Liu & Stephen Sy & Yue Huang & Colin Rehm & Yujin Lee & Parke Wilde & Shafika Abrahams-Gessel & Thiago de Souza Veiga Jardim & Tom Gaziano & Renata Micha, 2018. "Cost-effectiveness of financial incentives and disincentives for improving food purchases and health through the US Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A microsimulation study," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-25, October.
    2. Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Gregory, Christian A. & Singh, Anita, 2019. "Household Food Security in the United States in 2018," Economic Research Report 301167, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    3. Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Rabbitt, Matthew P & Gregory, Christian A & Singh, Anita, 2020. "Household Food Security in the United States in 2019," Economic Research Report 327207, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    4. Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Gregory, Christian A. & Singh, Anita, 2019. "Statistical Supplement to Household Food Security in the United States in 2018," Administrative Publications 320791, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Rabbitt, Matthew P & Gregory, Christian A & Singh, Anita, 2020. "Household Food Security in the United States in 2019," Economic Research Report 327207, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    2. Kathryn M. Janda & Nalini Ranjit & Deborah Salvo & Deanna M. Hoelscher & Aida Nielsen & Joy Casnovsky & Alexandra van den Berg, 2022. "Examining Geographic Food Access, Food Insecurity, and Urbanicity among Diverse, Low-Income Participants in Austin, Texas," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-12, April.
    3. Brittany M. Loofbourrow & Rachel E. Scherr, 2023. "Food Insecurity in Higher Education: A Contemporary Review of Impacts and Explorations of Solutions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-15, May.
    4. Drieda Zaҫe & Maria Luisa Di Pietro & Laura Reali & Chiara de Waure & Walter Ricciardi, 2021. "Prevalence, socio-economic predictors and health correlates of food insecurity among Italian children- findings from a cross-sectional study," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(1), pages 13-24, February.
    5. Bafowaa, Bridget Y. & Leschewski, Andrea, 2023. "Impact Of COVID-19 Relief Packages on US Household Food Expenditures," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335676, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Kevin M. Fitzpatrick & Don E. Willis & Matthew L. Spialek & Emily English, 2020. "Food Insecurity in the Post-Hurricane Harvey Setting: Risks and Resources in the Midst of Uncertainty," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-16, November.
    7. Kashyap, Pratyoosh & Jablonski, Becca B. R., 2023. "Diffusion of Universal Free School Meals in the United States: Examining Factors Influencing Adoption of Community Eligibility Provision," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335700, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Cäzilia Loibl & Wändi Bruine de Bruin & Barbara Summers & Simon McNair & Pieter Verhallen, 2022. "Which financial stressors are linked to food insecurity among older adults in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands? An exploratory study," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(2), pages 533-556, April.
    9. Maryruth Belsey-Priebe & Deborah Lyons & Jonathan J. Buonocore, 2021. "COVID-19′s Impact on American Women’s Food Insecurity Foreshadows Vulnerabilities to Climate Change," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-14, June.
    10. Denise Holston & Jessica Stroope & Matthew Greene & Bailey Houghtaling, 2020. "Perceptions of the Food Environment and Access among Predominantly Black Low-Income Residents of Rural Louisiana Communities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-14, July.
    11. Danielle Gallegos & Areana Eivers & Peter Sondergeld & Cassandra Pattinson, 2021. "Food Insecurity and Child Development: A State-of-the-Art Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-17, August.
    12. Elena Carrillo-Álvarez & Blanca Salinas-Roca & Lluís Costa-Tutusaus & Raimon Milà-Villarroel & Nithya Shankar Krishnan, 2021. "The Measurement of Food Insecurity in High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-57, September.
    13. Marcus, Michelle & Yewell, Katherine G., 2022. "The Effect of Free School Meals on Household Food Purchases: Evidence from the Community Eligibility Provision," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    14. Makenzie L. Barr & Jade McNamara, 2022. "Community-Based Participatory Research: Partnering with College Students to Develop a Tailored, Wellness-Focused Intervention for University Campuses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-15, December.
    15. Nadine Budd Nugent & Carmen Byker Shanks & Hilary K. Seligman & Hollyanne Fricke & Courtney A. Parks & Sarah Stotz & Amy L. Yaroch, 2021. "Accelerating Evaluation of Financial Incentives for Fruits and Vegetables: A Case for Shared Measures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-16, November.
    16. Hannah G. Calvert & Punam Ohri-Vachaspati & Michaela McQuilkin & Peter Boedeker & Lindsey Turner, 2021. "Prevalence of Evidence-Based School Meal Practices and Associations with Reported Food Waste across a National Sample of U.S. Elementary Schools," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-15, August.
    17. Suttles, Shellye A. & Babb, Angela & Knudsen, Daniel, 2022. "Submitted and Denied: Understanding Variation in Case Status Across Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Applications," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322195, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    18. Heather Kolakowski & Mardelle McCuskey Shepley & Ellie Valenzuela-Mendoza & Nicolas R. Ziebarth, 2021. "How the COVID-19 Pandemic Will Change Workplaces, Healthcare Markets and Healthy Living: An Overview and Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-19, September.
    19. Gundersen, Craig, 2021. "Viewpoint: A proposal to reconstruct the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into a universal basic income program for food," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    20. Isabel Maia & Ana Cristina Santos, 2022. "Prevalence and determinants of children self-reports of food insecurity: evidence from a Portuguese population-based birth cohort," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(2), pages 427-435, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9175-:d:626151. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.