D.C. shoppers looking for fresh, affordable produce close to home now have a new tool at their fingertips.
The nonprofit DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) announced on Sept. 1 that its reimagined Healthy Corners App is now available for iOS and Android users via the Apple App Store and Google Play.
The app was made possible by DC Health and the Nutrition Incentive Hub funding.
For the app’s development, DC Central Kitchen partnered with Blue Raster – an Arlington, Va.-based mapping company – where they designed an interactive store map that lists the most recent delivery at each Healthy Corners designated location.
The app also provides recipes and local social support services in an easy-to-use format, developers said.
“This app addresses unequal access to healthy food across the District by offering up-to-date information about affordable fruits and vegetables for residents in underserved neighborhoods,” DCCK Healthy Corners Program Manager Yael Reichler said.
“With healthy recipes and information about local community services, this app is designed to make it easier for D.C. residents to get access to the resources they need.”
DCCK said that this version of the app reflects direct input from District residents who have relied on SNAP, WIC and other food assistance programs over the past year.
A beta version detailing store locations and inventories was initially released in 2020 to help shoppers plan their trips to corner stores during the pandemic.
Funding from the Nutrition Incentive Hub allowed DC Central Kitchen to collect and incorporate the perspectives of D.C. shoppers and store owners to make the app a digital resource.
Now, Healthy Corners App users can pin their closest participating corner stores through its user-friendly map and use the map to see which stores accept WIC.
In addition, users can participate in DC Central Kitchen’s SNAP Match offering, which provides a $5 for $5 match for customers paying with SNAP/EBT when they include a produce item in their purchase.
The app also features a library of additional community resources covering topics ranging from housing support, job training and mental health to healthy eating and cooking.
Since 2011, Healthy Corners has supported access to healthy food in food deserts by providing corner store owners with fresh and frozen produce, technical assistance, refrigeration and storage equipment. The nonprofit currently serves 53 corner stores and has a partnership with DC Health so that WIC benefits are accepted at those locations.