The Capital City Diabetes Collaborative (CCDC) is launching a new program, teaming up with Snipes Farm and Education Center (890 W Bridge St, Morrisville, PA) right across the river this Friday, to help Trenton residents seek out help for managing their diabetes.

The 8-week program called Snipes Rx Produce Distribution for Diabetics will help 50 Trenton residents struggling with diabetes by providing fresh produce, recipes, and tips to help maintain healthier lives. Every Friday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Trenton residents can either pick up fresh produce or have it delivered to their home.  The program will be hosted from October 15 through December 10 with the exception of Thanksgiving week.

According to Population Health Program Manager Aida Martinez, Trenton currently has one of the highest rates of diabetes among its residents in the state set at 15.6% of the overall population, which is 5% higher than the national average and 6% higher than the state average. “We’ve noticed a rise in food insecurity,” Martinez said. “Especially the trends in the areas where they do have to access to food and it isn’t always healthy, nutritious, or fresh foods…The diabetes community really needs food that is fresh and low in sodium, low in sugar. So we really wanted to provide this opportunity for people who aren’t able to get fresh food from their local grocery store their local market.”

The CCDC, which is funded through the Merck Foundation’s “Bridging the Gap: Reducing Disparities in Diabetes Care” initiative, addresses major issues around the treatment of diabetes by increasing coordinated care among health services, peer support, and overall education for self-management of diabetes. Most importantly, the CCDC provides healthy food to aid those working best to control this disease 

Coiel Ricks-Stephen, director of Population Health, expressed about how COVID-19 created a need to acknowledge the disparity within the community. “It drove home the importance of really needing to address the social determinants of health and to improve the health outcomes of those who are underserved, the marginalized communities. So for me, it’s very important to work. I’ve devoted my professional career to working, advocating, and providing services for those who are essentially underserved.” 

For more programs and resources aimed at helping residents maintain their disease, go to https://trentonhealthteam.org/projects/capital-city-diabetes-collaborative/. This program is open to anyone with any type of diabetes or for those caring for a loved one with diabetes, but it caps at 50 residents. Those who do not sign up in time will be put on a waitlist if someone decides to drop out of the program.

To learn more about the program starting this week reach out to Martinez at amartinez@trentonhealthteam.org.