The American Heart Association
advocates for better nutrition access
in Jordan Park in St. Petersburg.
In an effort to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke among Jordan Park residents, the American Heart Association is advocating alongside Feeding Tampa Bay for a proposed budget item that would make it easier for residents to purchase fruits and vegetables.
A diet high in fruits and vegetables has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, which is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. People experiencing poverty can face challenges to achieving a healthy diet, including affordability of nutritious foods and proximity to a market that sells produce.
The 2022 US Census shows that 24,830 individuals in the Jordan Park zip code experience poverty, and 1,461 households there rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to supplement their budget.
“We’re proposing funding that would add a Jordan Park location to Feeding Tampa Bay’s ‘Groceries on the Go’ mobile food market, providing a new place for Jordan Park residents to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Courtney Burt, vice president of community impact at the American Heart Association Tampa Bay. “The funding will also give residents who use SNAP more purchasing power to spend on produce.”
Additionally, the funding will help all “Groceries on the Go” locations provide print and digital resources to help clients learn how to cut, season and prepare produce. It will also extend grocery shopping hours at the Sunshine Senior Center location in St. Petersburg.
“We have an opportunity to use existing programs here and extend their reach to improve nutrition access in a community that needs it,” Burt said. “Our research shows that improving access to fruits and vegetables can improve heart health and reduce chronic conditions – it’s as simple as that.”
For more information, visit www.heart.org.
Photos: St. Petersburg Housing Authority
