MEMPHIS, TN— With the help of UnitedHealthcare and Kroger, AARP Foundation is rolling out its Fre$h Savings initiative, a health food incentive program to encourage SNAP recipients to purchase more fruits and vegetables.
 
A press conference and community event will be held at a local Kroger store.

Where: Kroger, 3860 Austin Peay Highway, Memphis, Tenn., 38128

When: Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Participants, volunteers and the public will have the opportunity to enjoy fresh grilled vegetables and assorted fruits, receive Fre$h Savings material and giveaways, and learn about the impact of this program from Lisa Marsh Ryerson, AARP Foundation President.
 
UnitedHealthcare, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Kroger representatives will discuss the Fre$h Savings Program and how it makes fresh fruits and vegetables more affordable for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. Attendees will then have the opportunity to tour Kroger’s produce section and meet a local farmer.
 
“AARP Foundation strives to be a leader in promoting thoughtful, market-driven, sustainable strategies that address hunger and food insecurity for all Americans,” said Ryerson. “This initiative is an opportunity to battle the daily and often invisible problem of hunger that millions of our older neighbors face by connecting them to accessible healthy, fresh and affordable food.”
 
“UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to partner with AARP Foundation and Kroger to encourage more people to improve their diets, and their health,” said Rita Johnson-Mills, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee.
 
“Kroger is delighted to be part of such a powerful initiative that simultaneously addresses food insecurity, encourages our shoppers to maintain healthier diets by purchasing more fruits and vegetables, and supports our local farmers,” said Pam Matthews, Vice President of Merchandising, Kroger Delta Division. “The Mid-South area is a great place to launch the Fre$h Savings Program, and we are proud to work alongside AARP and UnitedHealthcare.”
 
“The Tennessee Department of Human Services is excited about the Fre$h Savings Program. We think it provides an excellent opportunity for those we serve to maximize their SNAP benefits to provide healthier food options for their families,” said Dr. Raquel Hatter, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services.
 
More than 10 million older adults in the United States are food insecure. AARP Foundation, in collaboration with these organizations, is creating solutions that help people 50 and older transform their lives and secure the essentials for their future.
 
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant program, awarded AARP Foundation a $3.3 million grant, with an additional $1 million coming from UnitedHealthcare, to implement this multiyear $6.6 million plan in Mississippi and Tennessee.  The goal is to encourage low-income consumers to purchase and eat more fresh produce, and to improve their nutrition and overall health.

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About AARP Foundation
AARP Foundation is working to win back opportunity for struggling Americans 50+ by being a force for change on the most serious issues they face today: housing, hunger, income and isolation. By coordinating responses to these issues on all four fronts at once, and supporting them with vigorous legal advocacy, the Foundation serves the unique needs of those 50+ while working with local organizations nationwide to reach more people, strengthen communities, work more efficiently and make resources go further. AARP Foundation is AARP’s affiliated charity. Learn more at www.aarpfoundation.org.  
 
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 850,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare atwww.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.

CONTACT:
Charlotte Castillo, 202-434-2560, media@aarp.org, @AARPMedia