WALDORF — As many as 1,000 adults in one Waldorf ZIP code who are living with high blood pressure will be able to get boxes of fresh produce delivered every two weeks for six months, at no cost, under a new program paid for with a $1 million state grant.
Deep Launching Inc., a Waldorf nonprofit, announced Nov. 13 that it will run the Charles County ProduceRx – Food is Medicine Program with the award from the Maryland Department of Health. The program is limited to eligible adults who live in the 20602 ZIP code and have hypertension.
The grant is the only one in Southern Maryland among 14 the state health department announced Sept. 30, and one of the largest. Of the $10 million the state divided among the 14, only the Baltimore City Health Department, at $1.85 million, and the Capital Area Food Bank, at $1.7 million, were listed for more, according to the department’s list of intended awards.
How a produce prescription works
A produce prescription is what it sounds like. A health care provider who is treating a patient for a diet-related condition writes a prescription for fruits and vegetables instead of, or alongside, medication, and the patient receives the food free.
In Charles County, Deep Launching said it will work with health care providers, local farmers and community partners to supply the produce along with nutrition education and other support services. Participants will receive what the nonprofit called medically informed nutrition support, including the produce boxes.
“This important program represents a significant investment in improving the health and well-being of Charles County residents living with hypertension and experiencing food insecurity,” Masada Roberson, president of Deep Launching, said in the announcement.
The announcement does not say when enrollment opens, when the first boxes will go out or how residents will be screened for eligibility. Deep Launching said health care providers who want to refer patients, and residents who want more information, should visit deeplaunching.org.
Why Waldorf, and why 20602
The state money was not open to every community. The health department’s request for applications set aside $10 million for produce prescriptions in communities eligible for ENOUGH, Gov. Wes Moore’s initiative aimed at neighborhoods with concentrated poverty. Waldorf is Charles County’s ENOUGH community.
LifeStyles of Maryland, the La Plata-based nonprofit that provides food, housing and other assistance across Southern Maryland, is the state-designated “Community Quarterback” for the ENOUGH effort in Waldorf. Deep Launching said LifeStyles and the Charles County Department of Health worked with it on the grant application and will help carry out the program.
The money comes from the health department’s Population Health Improvement Fund. The state describes the awards as intended, meaning each is subject to a signed grant agreement. Statewide, the department said grantees would begin work this fall and continue serving residents until summer 2028.
When the department announced the recipients, it said the two-year effort would prioritize people who are food insecure and managing chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension and high-risk pregnancies. The state has said it expects the programs to improve blood pressure control and fruit and vegetable intake, and it is weighing whether to add food and nutrition services to Medicaid starting in 2028.
At 1,000 participants, the Charles County award works out to about $1,000 per person, a figure that also has to cover education, delivery and administration.
About the nonprofit
Deep Launching describes itself as a nonprofit that provides relief to people experiencing homelessness and economic hardship, including children, adults and veterans. It operates an emergency food pantry and a distribution center.
The organization can be reached at 240-396-7001.
