You may be thinking to yourself what ???? A salad bar for low income and homeless vulnerable populations. But I will tell you that there is a reason and it is research, evidence based & very strategic and intentional. When I was in university I did the 5 days for the homeless, so we lived in a box, went to all our classes, were unable to use to showers, ate what was donated to us, wore what was on our back, and all the money we made from pan handling went to a local youth shelter. One of the most profound things I learned was that almost all of the food donated was baked goods, carbs, flour based, processed foods. This is also common if you think of the pastas and rice, that we are encouraged to donate for non perishable food boxes at the grocery stores or the food bank. The problem with this is there are no nutrients in those food, there are calories, and they do turn on the signals within our bodies that tells us we are full. But it converts into sugar and is used for energy, without any other nutritional value. My stomach was sick, my digestion was non existent, my body was not expelling toxins, and I was in the fetal position after just one week, I was depressed, exhausted, and my mental health was at a all time low. Imagine you told your kids we will only eat chocolate bars for the next week, but you still have to learn, and continue to develop and grow. Or a professional athlete, or your investment or hedge fund manager. It would not work, and does not work. The need for fresh, real, clean, food is essential, and is the foundation and basis of health.
This initiative will target digestive health, intestinal health, gut and microbiome, bacterial health and immune system support, inflammation, diabetes and will use food as medicine and utilize a preventative care model.