"Feastworthy is Something That Gives Us Our Dignity Back:" Feasibility of A Delivered Prepared Meal Program for Families in Motel-Shelters.

Families experiencing homelessness struggle with food access and face a high burden of nutrition-related diseases. We assessed feasibility of Feastworthy, a prepared meal delivery program for families in motel-shelters with meals made from surplus food from local colleges. We used pre-and post-program surveys and semi-structured interviews, comparing participating families with families in a nearby shelter. During the three-month pilot, Feastworthy delivered 4,875 meals to 38 families; 33 families participated in the study (20 intervention and 13 control). Families reported that the motel-shelter worsened their diet and health, and reported increased food security and healthier diets with Feastworthy. In difference-in-differences analyses, vegetable intake trended upward by 0.6 servings/day (p=.08) among participants relative to comparison-site individuals. Changes in food security scores and out-of-pocket food expenses were no different. A delivered meal program was feasible and may provide health benefits for homeless families. Future larger-scale, longer-term studies will clarify its befits.