Sabra Partners With NYBG TO Alleviate Food Deserts Via ‘Wellness Wednesdays’

Sabra CEO Shali Shalit-Shoval today announced the expansion of Sabra’s Plants with a Purpose, a community engagement initiative dedicated to helping alleviate the impact of food deserts in the United States. Sabra will partner with The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) to bring Wellness Wednesdays to the Bronx community in 2018. This announcement coincides with Sabra’s Earth Day Employee volunteer Day of Service across locations, including corporate headquarters in White Plains, NY. The Bronx is home to nearly 1 million people living in food deserts.

Sabra expands Plants with a Purpose, a community engagement initiative dedicated to helping alleviate the impact of food deserts in the United States. (PRNewsfoto/Sabra Dipping Company, LLC)

Sabra expands Plants with a Purpose, a community engagement initiative dedicated to helping alleviate the impact of food deserts in the United States. (PRNewsfoto/Sabra Dipping Company, LLC)

Wellness Wednesdays at NYBG will offer students, teachers, and families from the Bronx and throughout New York City free access to hands-on gardening and wellness activities helping ensure a healthier future for low-income, minority youth. Wellness Wednesdays include Hands-On Gardening, Community Engagement, Nutrition Education, Cooking Demonstrations, Access to Fresh Produce, Health Screenings, and Walking Trails open to the public.

“Today, we are proud to begin playing a role in New York with a commitment to fostering effective community-driven initiatives like The New York Botanical Garden’s Wellness Wednesdays,” said Shalit-Shoval.  “The pilot launch of Plants with a Purpose last year was an inspiring success, yielding meaningful results for our community in Virginia. We look forward to engaging with our neighbors and working together to grow and use fresh food in a variety of delicious ways.”

“NYBG is pleased to partner with Sabra to increase knowledge around the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables and remove barriers to access a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. James Boyer, Savros Niarchos Foundation VP for Children’s Education, The New York Botanical Garden. “Through Wellness Wednesdays, when the Garden is open for free to Bronx and NYC residents, Sabra will help bring people together through hands-on experiences with fresh food and the opportunity to explore nature through outdoor play.”

Now in its second year, Sabra’s “Plants with a Purpose” initiative aims to empower local organizations providing comprehensive resources to families in food deserts, based on the belief that through such partnerships Sabra can positively impact long-term changes. Efforts are focused on supporting partners with proven track records in increasing access to affordable fresh produce and to nutrition and culinary educational opportunities to families living in food deserts.

Food deserts, as defined by the USDA, are neighborhoods and towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, affordable food (specifically fruits and vegetables). It is estimated that more than 23 million Americans live in impacted areas.

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