BOSTON, MA – About Fresh, a Boston-based nonprofit committed to expanding access to fresh and nutritious food for people in need, announced the launch of its new Fresh Connect platform and a new partnership with Daily Table, a nonprofit community grocer with three locations in Boston and Cambridge.

Fresh Connect is a unique, data-rich program that enables healthcare organizations to cover the cost of fresh food for patients where they already shop, helping improve health outcomes and support overall wellbeing. Composed of a prepaid debit card funded by healthcare institutions and a HIPAA-compliant platform, Fresh Connect empowers patients who are experiencing food insecurity with the resources, convenience, and agency to purchase culturally connected, fresh food that supports their health at local retailers throughout Massachusetts.

"Fresh Connect can sustainably drive millions of dollars in annual healthcare spending toward supporting people who struggle to access healthy food - not only in Massachusetts, but nationwide," said Josh Trautwein, Co-founder and CEO of About Fresh. "Fresh Connect is about creating purchasing power and agency for our cardholders in a manner that accounts for food culture and all of the different ways people do their food shopping. Fresh Connect represents a fundamental shift toward a more equitable food economy."

The Fresh Connect concept was first piloted in 2014 as a paper-coupon model that could be used by shoppers at About Fresh mobile “Fresh Truck” locations in Boston and Brookline. With the new technology-enabled platform, the more than 700 current Fresh Connect cardholders will be able to purchase high quality food at a variety of additional locations in Greater Boston, including at all Daily Table locations as well as About Fresh’s “Fresh Truck” locations.

"The challenge of food insecurity in Greater Boston and across Massachusetts requires scalable solutions that deliver fresh and nutritious food to communities most in need, in a way they can afford," said Michael Malmberg, COO of Daily Table. "That’s what Daily Table is committed to doing and, by partnering together with About Fresh through the Fresh Connect card, we can do even more to remove economic barriers to healthy food for families in the Boston area."

In Massachusetts and across the country, millions of people struggle to reliably access local, fresh food. Fresh Connect is a scalable solution for expanding food access as a way to advance health equity, and has the potential to fundamentally change the way in which the healthcare industry can support that effort.

"At Brigham and Women’s, we believe in a patient-centered approach that provides care for the whole person to achieve the best outcomes," said Jan Lamey, Care Management Program Director at Brigham and Women’s. "Through these types of partnerships, we are able to address food insecurity and dietary needs - both critical determinants of health - head on, improving the health and wellbeing of our patients in both the short and long-term.”

“COVID-19 has been particularly challenging for many Boston Medical Center patients and families, and About Fresh has been a critical partner throughout the pandemic,” said Dr. Caroline Kistin, Pediatrician at Boston Medical Center. “The expansion of the Fresh Connect program to cast a wider net of participating locations will increase access to fresh foods and help address persistent food insecurity in our community.”

Organizations that help fund Fresh Connect debit cards for qualifying individuals and families include major healthcare institutions like Brigham Medicaid ACO, Brigham Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Boston Medical Center, and community-based organizations like Camp Harborview. To learn more about Fresh Connect, visit www.aboutfresh.org/fresh-connect.

About Fresh Connect + About Fresh:

Fresh Connect enables healthcare organizations to cover the cost of fresh food for patients where they already shop, helping improve health outcomes and support overall wellbeing. Composed of a prepaid debit card funded by healthcare institutions and a HIPAA-compliant platform, Fresh Connect empowers patients who are experiencing food insecurity with the resources, convenience, and agency to purchase culturally connected, fresh food that supports their health at local retailers throughout Massachusetts.

About Fresh is a Boston-based nonprofit committed to expanding access to the high-quality, fresh food that is vital to people’s health, wellbeing, and culture. About Fresh partners with health systems and civic leaders to expand access to fresh, culturally-relevant food for people who need it most.