Project PLATE

Pediatrics Leveraging Access To healthy Eating

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January 2026 impact updates below!

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What is

Project PLATE

Started in 2023, Project PLATE is a three-year partnership between the Root Causes' Fresh Produce Program and Duke Children's. Our goal is to support pediatric patient families in Durham County affected by food insecurity through four core project arms:

01 - Wellness Wednesday
02 - Referral-Based Enrollment
03 - Wraparound services
04 - Evaluative research

01 Wellness

Wednesday

Once monthly, Duke Children’s stays open later into the evening for pediatric patient families behind on health maintenance to access well child care. During these expanded evening office hours, our volunteers distribute fresh produce to these families and help enroll them in the FPP's produce delivery service.

02 Referral-BAsed Enrollment

Pediatric patient families eligible for FPP enrollment may also be referred by the Population Health Management Office, even if they do not attend Wellness Wednesday. Out volunteers call these families and set them up to receive produce deliveries.

Wraparound Services

Our volunteers develop resources and events for the PLATE families, aiming to promote early relational health and positive childhood experiences alongside access to and education around healthy eating. In the past, we have hosted food trucks at the clinic and gardening workdays with Root Causes' "Healthy Harvest" team!

04 Evaluative Research

We have several research projects aimed to evaluate operation and impact of program since it began in 2023, and learn more about our pediatric patient families so that future PLATE expansion/development is aligned with their needs and experiences. Current research teams focuses include quality improvement, qualitative, and quantitative.