“Produce in The Park” to Launch in Fox Point in July
Friday, June 26, 2020
A group of community organizations announced a partnership to provide a "safe and reliable food source for the Fox Point community."
The program is designed for senior citizens who live adjacent to Cabral Park, and the partnership aims to "develop community-driven food justice" in Fox Point. "Produce in the Park" will officially begin in early July.
The effort is led by Friends of Cabral Park, Providence Partnership for Parks, Helene Miller, iProv Fellow Eleanor Pereboom, and Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1).
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAlthough the program begins in July, and Cricket Wireless will be giving away 100 donated bags of fresh groceries to seniors at Fox Point Manor Friday at 2:00 PM.
The partnership developed out of the concern around the health risks of crowded public spaces and a scant supply of fresh fruits and vegetable accessibility for vulnerable seniors. Produce in the Park will be offering bountiful shares of locally sourced produce, pre-packaged and available for open-air pick up in a de-densified environment to keep residents safe and well-fed.
Produce in the Park is a 10-week subscription program where residents will pick up a carefully curated box of locally sourced vegetables. The program will begin July 8, 2020, and run through September 9, 2020, with pick-up on Wednesdays from 10 am – 6 pm in Cabral Park on Wickenden Street. Produce shares are $21 per week ($210 for the season). Shareholders can sign up using the form below, which helps subsidize seniors:
Payments can be made weekly but shareholders must commit to the full 10-week program, and SNAP/Bonus Bucks are accepted. For individuals with SNAP/Bonus Bucks the cost will be $4.50 per week.
“We are thrilled that these community partners have come together to offer our residents healthy fruits and vegetables. I look forward to the launch of this program and are grateful to all involved” says the Fox Point Manor Resident Services Coordinator, Gloria Isacco, and Property Manager Karen Fagundes.
“The Partnership for Providence Parks (P3) provides support and resources for neighbors that we call Friends who seek to transform their public parks into thriving green spaces that reflect the unique needs and character of their community. At the core of P3’s mission is the building and strengthening of Friends Groups. Pre-COVID 19, P3 had the honor of working alongside the seniors forming a Friends of Cabral Park with plans to activate the park as a hub of health, wellness, and cultural activities during the summer. Once the pandemic began, the seniors’ need for food access came into sharp focus and the group had the idea to use the park and their Park Friends Group as platforms to address their food insecurity. The Friends worked in partnership with P3, Councilman Goncalves, and P3’s iPROV Fellow, Eleanor Pereboom, to develop “Produce in the Parks”. Today’s distribution of one hundred bags of produce marks the first step in realizing this goal of the Friends of Cabral Park to address the needs of their own community” said Helene Miller, Executive Director of P3.
“As we are still facing a global pandemic, our elderly population is vulnerable, and we know that access to locally harvested and sustainably grown healthy foods like fruits and vegetables are an essential element in boosting our immune systems,” stated Goncalves. “My concern is for our seniors who live in Fox Point and are on a fixed income and don’t always have equitable access to quality fruits and vegetables. I am very pleased that I was able to join forces with these amazing community partners to create an equitable and sustainable food source in our community.”
