Botanic Gardens Brings Healthy Food Stands To Needy Neighborhoods

DENVER (CBS4) - Denver Human Services has teamed up with the Denver Botanic Gardens to help make sure all neighborhoods have access to affordable and healthy food. It seems like a simple stand, but it impacts the lives of a lot of people because the fresh produce goes to neighborhoods where it just simply isn't available.

The weekly food stands have fresh, organic food that is grown locally at the Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms. And they bring it straight to the communities that need it most.

For a lot of families, it isn't as easy as you may think to run to the store and get fresh produce. A lot of areas don't have stores that carry it nearby so transportation can be tough for struggling families. And of course, buying fresh produce can be expensive!

So these farm stands help bridge that gap.

The produce is made available at reduced at costs and is here once a week.

CBS4 reporter Makenzie O'Keefe spoke to a family at the stand who is currently homeless.

Kristen McVay's 12-year-old daughter suffers from a rare seizure disorder and she says having access to fresh organic food helps to keep her healthy and makes a huge difference for their family.

"It's huge. We're trying to get food stamps and we're trying to live off what we have from my old job and it's not much," McVay said.

"I don't want her to suffer because she'll seizure and we don't want that. This is right here, we can walk," she said. "Not having grocery stores but having gardens and places that are pop-ups is life saving, honestly, for us."

The farm stand accepts SNAP and EBT benefits. Customers who use their SNAP food assistance program benefits card (EBT card) qualify for additional discounts, including a Double Up Food Bucks Colorado incentive. Double Bucks allow SNAP benefits recipients to receive twice as much food for the same price (or double the money to spend on fruits and vegetables).

It will be set up every Friday through October at the DHS office in Sun Valley at 1200 Federal Blvd. from 10 a.m. to noon and also in Montbello at the DHS Arie P. Taylor Municipal Building at 4685 Peoria St. from 1 - 3:30 p.m.