(PRWEB) May 08, 2013
In January, the Houston City Council approved a nutritious meal program for children ages 6 to 13 from low-income families enrolled in After-School activities. A grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture funds the program to feed children at 53 Houston-area community centers. The Fresh Healthy Vending company is encouraged to see the new program in place. Healthy food for hungry people is part of the companys strategy of providing wholesome snacks and beverages from vending machines throughout the country.
Alan Rigo, a franchisee with Fresh Healthy Vending in Houston, has 23 machines in 20 locations, about half of them are in public, private and charter schools. The machines are stocked with all-natural, organic and preservative-free snacks and beverages to make healthy choices easy for students and to ensure that nutrient-rich selections are available.
Its important to expose all school children to the healthy options, Rigo said, They can become familiar with them early, and hopefully, maintain those good habits as they grow into adults. In many cases, healthier choices are seldom available and, sadly, even less so in lower-income areas. All products available from Fresh Healthy Vending machines comply with healthy food guidelines and meet or exceed standards set by the USDA.
Fresh Healthy Vending is proud to support the Houston initiative that improves the quality of nutrition for school children, Rigo stated. Supplementing basic nourishment with wholesome snacks outside of regular meals is important, it promotes healthy eating habits. This is a big challenge our country faces regarding the health and well-being of youth, it isnt enough to only promote active lifestyles at our schools.
Children need to be encouraged to take an active interest in their health and what goes into their bodies at an early age, Rigo commented, This is an important tool in tackling the national obesity epidemic as well as other health risks like diabetes and heart disease.
Sharpstown High School in Houston is one of the schools with students in need that recently received Fresh Healthy Vending machines through a grant initiative. The idea is supported by the principals vision and desire to bring healthy food to his students and faculty.
Our student population and community struggles with healthy living and healthy lifestyles. This current partnership between Sharpstown High School and Fresh Healthy Vending is a win-win situation, stated Rob Gasparello, Principal at Sharpstown High School.
With Fresh Healthy Vending machines on campus, our students have the opportunity to actively pursue one of the tenets of our Apollo CreedI WILL MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. Eating healthy is a good decision, he said. Fresh Healthy Vending has provided several machines on campus where healthy snacks and drinks are readily available for our kids before, during and after school. This is a direct benefit for the most important people on our campus: the students of Sharpstown High School.
Jornae Nevels is the coordinator for Health Corps (http://www.healthcorps.org) at the school. Health Corps is a non-profit organization established by Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife Lisa, to combat the childhood obesity crisis. By using peer mentoring in school and community programs, it targets high-need populations. Exploring the complex, underlying causes of the obesity crisis and discovering and communicating solutions, it is leading a nationwide movement toward a new generation of healthy young people.
Nevels enjoys mentoring students, they set up health fairs and activities that involve friends and family. We go through it in our classes, they now know what empty calories are and they didnt before, Nevels said. The choices available in the Fresh Healthy Vending machines are good for them. Theyre a great way to introduce the kids to new food items.
She was instrumental in locating the Fresh Healthy Vending Machines on the Sharpstown campus after receiving information about the initiatives for the machines. Fresh & Healthy is part of a program devoted to making a change, community by community, to replace junk food with truly healthy food and encouraging healthy eating and active lifestyles. Information is available at http://www.freshandhealthy.org.
The nations largest healthy vending company, Fresh Healthy Vending, has dedicated $ 1,000,000 in grant incentives to locations that choose to provide the healthy vending option. Grants are being awarded to qualifying schools that take part in this movement. With three or more machines hosted, a $ 1,500 cash grant will be awarded. Locations will also receive a percentage of the monthly revenue generated by the healthy machines to put towards nutrition programs and fundraising efforts. There is absolutely no cost to the site and no binding agreements.
The Fresh Healthy Vending business is a cause that goes beyond financial benefit. The fight against obesity is being fought by bringing healthy food to communities and providing a beneficial impact while working for the greater good.
The Fresh Healthy Vending machines in Houston schools are some of the thousands of vending locations throughout the country offering healthy snack food and beverage choices. Keeping minds and bodies in better shape are part of the directives for Fresh Healthy Vending, the first and largest franchisor of healthy vending machines. Their quest is to help Americans become healthier by providing more nutritious and wholesome snacks and drinks purchased through vending machines.
For more information about Fresh Healthy Vending franchises, visit http://www.freshvending.com. To inquire about receiving a free Fresh Healthy Vending machine, visit http://www.freshandhealthy.org or call toll free 888-902-7558.
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