Meet Mitesh

You probably don’t think twice about buying fresh fruits and vegetables when you go to the grocery store. But for many in our community, they can’t afford healthy produce or they live in a food desert, where fresh foods aren’t available at local markets.

The Sayler Park neighborhood is one such local food desert. Thanks to you, though, low-income families in Sayler Park can get fresh, nutritious foods through the Produce Perks program. When you give to the Foundation to lend support where it’s most needed, you allow Mercy Health to invest in important community partnerships, like Produce Perks, that help everyone have a healthier lifestyle.

The Produce Perks program provides a dollar-for-dollar match for families and individuals using SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) to purchase healthy foods. When their budget can stretch further, they can buy fruits and vegetables that they might not have been able to otherwise. Gracely Food Mart in the Sayler Park neighborhood is part of the Produce Perks program which now offers residents healthier food options in the store.

“We have a lot of low-income families here,” said Mitesh Patel, owner of the market.

“This helps them buy the healthy food they need,” he said. “This is a great program and we are very happy that donors support this. Thank you!”

Your donation helps more than just the residents in food deserts like Sayler Park. It also helps local farms and small businesses like Mitesh's Gracely Food Mart.

Ana Bird is the Director of Programs for Produce Perks Midwest. She said, “Thanks to Mercy Health Foundation donors, Sayler Park is one of the most successful programs we have in the state. The investment in the community has made a tremendous difference.”