title: Changing the conversation about hunger: the process of developing Freshplace.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite public and private food assistance programs, food insecurity and hunger are persistent public health problems. Freshplace is an innovative food pantry collaborative whose goal is to build long-term food security and self-sufficiency among residents of the North End of Hartford, Connecticut. Freshplace was founded by Foodshare (FS), the Chrysalis Center (CC), Inc., and the Junior League of Hartford (JLH), Inc., who then partnered with the University of Connecticut to design and evaluate the program.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article describes the community-based participatory research process involved with developing and evaluating Freshplace.
  
  
  METHODS
  We are conducting a randomized, controlled study to compare 100 Freshplace members with 100 people who receive food from traditional food pantries. Main outcome measures include food security, self-sufficiency, and diet quality. Change scores are compared from baseline to 3 months using independent t tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Freshplace opened in July 2010. We have recruited 233 people to participate in the study. Over 3 months, Freshplace members had larger change scores than the comparison group in food security scores (1.6 vs. 0.7 points; p < .01), and fruit and vegetable intake (1.9 vs. -1.4 points; p < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Freshplace is a successful, community- university partnership bringing together three community agencies and a state university. This is the first food pantry intervention to be evaluated, and preliminary results are promising.
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Maryellen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shuckerow
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmitz
mesh_terms: D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003237:Connecticut; D004032:Diet; D063105:Food Assistance / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005523:Food Supply / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors