Just in time for the holidays, thousands of dollars worth of fresh produce was handed out to local families who need it. The local non-profit group, Hidden Harvest, held their second healthy fair at Agua Caliente Elementary School in Cathedral City Friday afternoon.
Volunteers passed out bags filled to the brim with fresh fruits and vegetables, along with recipes for parents to take home to their families and children. "We want to supply it, make it easy, so maybe they develop a taste for it," said Sandra Carroll, the Assistant Director of Hidden Harvest.
Between the recession and the holidays, parents say they appreciate the extra help, since fresh produce can quickly add up at the grocery store. "It's expensive! It's real expensive..it helps us a lot," said Maricela Calderon.
The goal is to help the wallet and the waistline. Nationwide, the numbers show a third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. Local researchers say the numbers in the Valley are even higher. "It's been shown fresh fruits and vegetables are the answer to obesity and diabetes problems," said Sandra Carroll. "They are one of the cures." Organizers of the healthy fair hope by supplying the produce, parents will bring healthy habits into the home. "They love it!" mom Marciela Calderon says of her children.
Hidden Harvest hopes to hold the healthy fair once a month at Agua Caliente, each month the school is in session. They've also started a community garden on campus and volunteers from Hidden Harvest plan to start teaching nutrition at the school.
For more information on Hidden Harvest, go to http://www.hiddenharvest.org
