Harris County commissioners passed the new initiative during a Feb. 27 court meeting.
The details
Harris County Public Health will be hosting the free program called Wellness on Wheels, which aims to increase access to services among communities officials deem a priority.
HCPH will be working with two organizations to complete the program this year.
- The Common Market: a Houston nonprofit that distributes family-owned farm products to organizations across the region, according to its website
- The Rose: a Texas-based nonprofit focused on breast health care
While dates and locations haven't been announced yet from HCPH, guests can expect preventative screening mammography services and breast cancer education through a mobile mammography health coach, according to agenda documents. Scheduling appointments for mammograms will also be one of the program services The Rose will be responsible for.
The Common Market will distribute the locally sourced food boxes and provide nutrition education opportunities at the events, according to agenda documents.
The impact
The latest data from the national nonprofit Feeding America estimated the amount of people facing food insecurity across the country in 2021. The numbers from Harris County and surrounding counties are:
- Harris County had more than 647,450 people facing food insecurity, equivalent to 13.8% of the county's population.
- Fort Bend County had 73,250 people facing food insecurity, equivalent to 9.1% of the county's population.
- Montgomery County had 70,920 people facing food insecurity, equivalent to 11.7% of the county's population.
- Galveston County had 45,410 people facing food insecurity, equivalent to 13.1% of the county's population.
- Brazoria County had 39,420 people facing food insecurity, equivalent to 10.7% of the county's population.
