The nonprofit PlantPure Communities (PPC) created the Oasis Jumpstart Program to bring whole food, plant-based meals, science-based nutrition education, and healthy lifestyle practices to underserved neighborhoods across the country. Under the Program, which is still in the Pilot stage, over 20 Oasis Jumpstarts have been completed. More were planned for communities across the United States in 2020 but were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through Oasis, PPC works with local coordinating groups to strengthen the local infrastructure in order to achieve short term impact and long-term change. The Oasis Program offers participants the opportunity to learn about the benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet while enabling them to experience the powerful health impacts firsthand. The Oasis Pilots are modeled on the Jumpstarts conducted in Mebane, NC, that were documented in the 2015 PlantPure Nation film. The Jumpstart program has been fully validated — the majority of participants in the Mebane Jumpstart who were on prescription drugs were able to reduce or discontinue those medications after just 10 days, and many people with diabetes, high lipids, arthritis and other chronic conditions found relief by the end of the program. PPC works with faith-based groups, food banks, businesses, government entities, health systems, clinics, Pods and local nonprofits to carry out neighborhood-wide Jumpstarts that are affordable and can be cross-subsidized.
Working with the local coordinating groups, biometric data is collected for Oasis participants before and after the initial 10-day Jumpstart period, so each person experiences firsthand the powerful impact of nutrition on their health. An underlying tenet of the Oasis Program is to use the 10-day Jumpstart as the catalyst to attract and deliver a large, cooperative set of activities all working synergistically to achieve lasting change in the health and well-being of the participants and community. While it is anticipated that participants will be inspired to make lasting changes when they see the biometric data that proves the powerful benefits of eating plant-based in just 10 days, the Program also calls for a supplemental services component that will improve the likelihood of success in the short-term and sustaining change over the long-term. In Oasis Pilot communities, PPC works with local groups to help build new connections with local resources that offer support and education, such as cooking classes and grocery shopping/label reading tours, as well as local gardening, fitness classes, and more.
The Oasis Program has been strengthened significantly through the integration of the PPC Pod Network into the planning of Oasis Pilots at the community level. The Pod Network involves thousands of people in independent groups (also known as Pods) who are working to promote the benefits of plant-based nutrition through sharing nutrition information and supporting one another in making sustainable lifestyle changes. Many of the people who participate in the Pods are playing an important role, as PPC brings the Oasis Program to scale – reaching underserved communities across the country. Already, hundreds of Oasis participants, their families and friends, have made the informed decision to take control of their health by changing what they eat.
For more information about how to get involved in the Oasis Jumpstart Program, send an email to info@plantpurecommunities.org.