SAN ANTONIO \u2013 A San Antonio nonprofit is partnering with a national delivery platform to bring fresh fruit and vegetables directly to families in the Southside Independent School District.<\/p>\n
Brighter Bites, in partnership with DoorDash, delivers fresh produce to families in seven San Antonio elementary schools every other week at no cost to participating families.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Velarde, Brighter Bites senior program manager, said the program offers more than just free food.<\/p>\n
\u201cGroceries being as expensive as they are, it does provide a little bit of relief to their grocery budget,\u201d Velarde said.<\/p>\n
The program also focuses on changing the way kids and families think about food. Brighter Bites staff visit classrooms to provide nutrition education, helping students learn how to make healthier choices.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally, our goal is to affect healthy behavior changes,\u201d Velarde said. \u201cWe\u2019re teaching kids how to eat better, make better choices when it comes to what they eat, what they snack on.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nonprofit also encourages parents to continue food education at home. The partnership with DoorDash helps make that possible by removing the burden of transportation and accessibility.<\/p>\n
A personal mission for one driver<\/p>\n
DoorDash driver Sheneka Willis has delivered 70 Brighter Bites orders and says the experience has been deeply meaningful.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to be a low-income single parent as a teen mom. And so I\u2019ve lived in low-income housing. I\u2019ve been on food stamps. It means a lot, you know, every little bit helps,\u201d Willis said.<\/p>\n