Health Net Helps Expand "Vouchers 4 Veggies" Program to Support Healthy Eating Among More California Families

Date: 06/23/22

Families in San Joaquin, Sutter and Yuba Counties will now have an easier time accessing fresh, healthy produce with the help of the Vouchers 4 Veggies (V4V) program. This program aims to improve the health and well-being of families through increasing access and affordability of healthy foods. Health Net is proud to award a $120,500 grant to empower V4V to launch in these rural California communities.

V4V provides free vouchers for fruit and vegetables at partnering grocery retailers. Participating families receive a card that funds healthy grocery shopping for the following six months. Since November 2021, more than 250 low-income households with young children have been successfully enrolled into the program in San Joaquin, Sutter and Yuba Counties.

Partnerships with recognized and respected community-based organizations are crucial to ensuring success of the V4V program. In both Sutter and Yuba County, the V4V program partnered with E Center, a non-profit which aims to build healthy communities through education, employment and environmental awareness. In San Joaquin County, the program has partnered with El Concilio, who is dedicated to empowering California’s diverse low-income, minority and marginalized communities.

Besides assisting families with buying fruits and vegetables, V4V also offers education so that people can learn more about taking good care of their health.

V4V has assisted thousands of Californians to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption by one serving per day. Since 2015, $2.7 million in fruit and vegetable purchases have been infused into California communities, helping local grocers and farmers' markets.

V4V helps ensure that more people are food secure, meaning they always have access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Find a complete list of markets and grocery stores accepting vouchers.