About Rx Food

Rx Food is a unique pilot program in North Simcoe that bridges forward-thinking doctors with local patients in need of fresh, healthy produce. Using the traditional prescription method, doctors provide qualifying patients with a monthly injection of fruits and veggies at no cost. This helps to leverage limited incomes and allows participants the chance to stretch their dollars within their regular monthly budgets. According to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, the good food gap in our region affects 12% of residents or 1 in 8 households, which sets off a wave of reactions to food insecurity, such as poor physical health, including diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure, and impeded mental health, such as depression, anxiety, and other social disorders. By identifying food insecurity as a common threat to a healthy, sustainable, and inclusive community, doctors become allies in weaving a stronger social fabric for everyone, not only by promoting the general health of their patients, but also by affecting change within agriculture, economics, and societal wellness. Rx Food was founded upon the belief that food is a basic human right, and it aligns grassroots community food programming with governmental action and commitment to build stronger, healthier communities.