This project seeks to increase the fruit and vegetable consumption among individuals with inadequate access to fresh produce and limited financial resources.
Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic and Fresh Fix, a Buffalo-based food box delivery company, are partnering to create an intervention that improves fruit and vegetable consumption in individuals who screen positive for food insecurity while being seen at Lighthouse. Undergraduate students will assist in this mission by delivering food boxes filled with fresh, locally sourced produce directly to patients’ homes. By delivering food boxes, this project aims to simultaneously overcome the burdens of time insecurity and limited access to fresh produce often encountered by individuals in our patient population. Students will partake in a training session prior to delivering boxes as well as monthly seminar sessions facilitated by medical students that will be held at the Jacobs School of Medicine. Deliveries will occur on Wednesday afternoons and drivers will be expected to follow a buddy system where they will deliver boxes with one other student. Students are expected to commit to this elective for 1 semester; however, if interested, students may continue their involvement past this time frame.
Students will be expected to complete a summative PowerPoint presentation.
Length of commitment | About one semester |
Start time | September |
In-person, remote, or hybrid? | In-person |
Level of collaboration | Delivery with undergraduate partner. Reflections with public health and medical students; individual research |
Benefits | (I) Understand the scope of food insecurity in downtown Buffalo, (II) learn how medical, master’s of public health, social work, and nutrition students are working to address food insecurity at the student level, and (III) earn volunteer hours through Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic. |
Who is eligible | Sophomore, Junior, and Seniors |
Support | Managers of Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic |
Expectations |
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Jessica Kruger
Clinical Assistant Professor
Community Health and Health Behavior
The specific preparation activities for this project will be customized through discussions between you and your project mentor. Please be sure to ask them for the instructions to complete the required preparation activities.
Community Health and Health Behavior