The Kelly Center for Hunger Relief in El Paso, Texas, is celebrating the success of its FreshStart program, designed to empower food pantry clients towards greater independence. A recent evaluation, conducted by University of Texas at El Paso and funded by Oak Ridge Associated Universities, confirmed the positive impact of the program. The three year pilot, launched in 2016, offers individualized coaching and education to reduce clients’ reliance on outside resources.

The evaluation revealed a notable decrease in the frequency of food pantry visits by participants who completed the program. Prior to FreshStart, 71% of participants visited a food pantry weekly for nutritional support. By the program’s end, this figure dropped to 39%. Moreover, FreshStart graduates increased their participation in social assistance programs, such as SNAP and government-provided health insurance, by 18%. Participants also reported improvements in overall wellness, nutrition, physical health knowledge, and increased motivation to achieve personal goals. The program fostered a sense of community and friendship among participants, and for some, it provided an opportunity to enhance their English language skills.

Dr. Jason Mallonee, Assistant Professor at UTEP and President of the Board of Directors at the Kelly Center, expressed his satisfaction with the outcomes, stating they confirmed his initial belief in the program’s mission. According to Dr. Mallonee, the success of FreshStart stems from addressing non-food barriers to food security, such as financial or housing instability. By providing food alone, the crisis may be temporarily alleviated, but the root causes of food insecurity remain unaddressed. The FreshStart program is based on the More Than Food framework developed by Dr. Katie S. Martin, which focuses on the underlying causes of food insecurity.

Throughout the program, participants identified attainable goals to enhance their independence. Kelly Center staff employ techniques like motivational interviewing and the “stages of change” model to guide participants towards their objectives. In addition to receiving food boxes, participants engaged in various educational programs including job readiness, English as a second language classes, and technological literacy courses.

While the program is free, it costs the Kelly Center approximately $1,089 per participant from start to finish. In 2022, the program served 314 members with a budget of $342,000, primarily funded by grants from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, alongside smaller private donations.

The FreshStart program predominantly serves women providing for their families, with 81% of participants falling into this category. Over 90% of participants are Hispanic or Latino, and more than half were unemployed when they entered the program. Housing instability is also a prevalent issue, with fewer than half of participants having stable housing, and nearly a quarter experiencing homelessness or facing eviction.

The Kelly Center has positioned the FreshStart program as an experiential learning center for students in disciplines such as social work and public health. Dr. Mallonee advised organizations looking to implement a similar model to familiarize themselves with the More Than Food framework, involve program participants as collaborators, and ensure they have agency over their own lives.

The Kelly Center plans to expand the FreshStart program to different locations, including the University of Texas at El Paso, where food insecurity rates are higher than in El Paso County. Additionally, they are identifying areas outside El Paso County to introduce FreshStart-like services. To date, hundreds of individuals have bettered their lives through the FreshStart program.