Partnership with Peach State Health Plan will kick off on April 30 in Lithonia

ATLANTA (April 20, 2016) – Mercy Housing Southeast today announced its first Cultivating Healthy Communities event will be held at their largest multi-family community, the Hills at Fairington, in Lithonia, Georgia, on Saturday, April 30, 2016. The event will feature a fresh produce truck from Peach State Health Plan, cooking demonstrations, and other health and wellness-related activities for residents and their families.

Cultivating Healthy Communities, an initiative created by Mercy Housing Southeast and funded by Peach State Health Plan, will help families improve their overall health by providing activities focused on nutrition and access to healthy foods. Along with the creation of gardens and food pantries on three of Mercy’s sites, Peach State Health Plan will deliver fresh produce and assist Mercy with programming to motivate residents to be mindful of their health and wellness goals. The delivery truck will be visiting all of Mercy Housing Southeast’s properties in Georgia over the next few months.

“Cultivating Healthy Communities is the next step in our comprehensive plan to provide residents with more than just housing,” said Tina Lowe, President of Mercy Housing Southeast. “We want to provide people with the tools they need to create sustainable, vibrant, and healthy communities. We are delighted to announce that Peach State Health Plan has partnered with us to do just that.”

Over 1,500 low-income families will be participating in the initiative over the next 12 months. The families will also be receiving advice on creating cost-effective and healthy meals, as well as managing a household budget. Mercy Housing Southeast is working with the University of Georgia and the Atlanta Community Food Bank to develop a program to measure the success of the initiative in its first year.