Refresh Now is a food prescription program that improves health for those working to address a major chronic disease or risk factors for a major chronic disease (examples: Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic renal disease, cancer, major mental health disorder). The long-term goal of Refresh Now is to improve the health of the community, create support for the local healthy food economy, and promote the wisdom of using food as medicine.

Research supports the idea that food is the best medicine to address chronic illness; by connecting families to Refresh Now, chronic disease symptoms (or risk) can be reduced and even eliminated. Refresh Now helps participants increase consumption of fruits and vegetables by offering fresh food vouchers to purchase fresh, locally grown produce, and helps increase knowledge through healthy living classes. 

To be eligible for Refresh Now, participants must be diagnosed or at high risk for a major chronic illness, be a resident of Kent County, have the ability to commit to the three-month program, and be at least 18 years of age (although the participant’s entire family benefits from the fresh food vouchers). Refresh Now requires a screening for blood pressure, height, weight, BMI, lipid profile (cholesterol), and A1C.

Additional labs may be required as determined by chronic disease state of the individual. Patients are referred through Refresh Now partner site liaisons, who then prescribes fresh food vouchers that can be redeemed for fresh fruits and vegetables at any of Access’ affordable Fresh Markets. 

Our Refresh Now sites are: 

• Exalta Health

• Catherine’s Health Center