Special to the Record
La Colaborativa, in partnership with Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF), is pleased to announce a new project to provide hearty,
prepared meals to seniors, residents with disabilities, and individuals facing chronic health conditions.
La Colaborativa, a preeminent Latina-led community-based organization in the Commonwealth, has been at the forefront of spearheading equitable food and nutrition access for decades. As the region descends into the colder, darker days of winter, food insecure
residents, particularly seniors and individuals with disabilities, endure staggering challenges to accessing nutritious, culturally familiar sustenance.
“We’re excited to launch our Winter Meals Project, in concert with LEAF, Rincon Limeno, and P’onde Juancho, invaluable local small businesses,” said Gladys Vega, CEO of La Colaborativa. “With unaffordable grocery costs and difficult winter weather, it’s imperative that we deploy new models of food security to serve our seniors and community members experiencing chronic medical conditions.”
The Winter Meals Project, a partnership between La Colaborativa, LEAF, and local restaurants is funded through the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC). With food insecurity rampant, seniors and vulnerable populations experience heightened barriers to accessing, preparing, and affording nutritious food products, particularly during the winter months.
“In a City overburdened by a staggering prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity, it’s vital that we collectively shepheard forward solutions, such as our Food as Medicine model,” stated Alex Train, COO of La Colaborativa. “We’re grateful to the Mass. Growth Capital Corporation, LEAF, and our small business partners for investing in nutrition, small business development, and disease prevention, specifically for our most vulnerable community members.”
La Colaborativa and LEAF have partnered with two independently owned restaurants, P’onde Juancho in Chelsea and Rincon Limeno in East Boston, to produce healthy, nutritious meals, reinvesting resources in the local economy. La Colaborativa will oversee the distribution of over 500 meals each week to seniors and vulnerable populations, with the healthier variations of culturally familiar offerings made available through La Colaborativa’s El Mercado and home delivery service.
The inability to access nutritious, culturally appropriate foods can compound a myriad of health issues, especially for seniors and other vulnerable populations. Representing an expansion of La Colaborativa’s Food as Medicine Program, the Winter Meals Project seeks to improve health outcomes, allay food insecurity, and reduce the instances of preventable chronic diseases linked to poor nutrition. The project complements La Colaborativa’s suite of nutrition counseling, preventative healthcare services, culinary education, SNAP enrollment, and food distribution points, including the recently inaugurated El Mercado, a grocery store-style pantry that prioritizes access to nutritious food for the most vulnerable community members in a dignified, hospitable fashion. Through the formation of this unique partnership, the project will further support immigrant-owned, local small businesses, a central tenet of the mission espoused by La Colaborativa and LEAF.
In Chelsea, residents of color are plagued by a higher prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, which erode life expectancy. This racial health disparity is notably acute for seniors, with over 44% of seniors experiencing diabetes in Chelsea, compared to 18.5% on a statewide basis, according to the MA Healthy Aging Collaborative. Compounding this issue, inclement winter weather poses cumbersome for residents with limited mobility, restricting seniors’ ability to visit the grocery store or perform daily errands. “It is an honor for us to team up with La Colaborativa and serve our community by providing families in need with hot meals that are nourishing, prepared with love, and, most importantly, meals that connect people to their places of origin” said Juan Preciado and Diego Preciado, owners of P’onde Juancho Restaurant.