Acknowledgments: We thank Maria "Conchita" Pozar for her engagement of the community, the promotoras who built trust with participants, and the volunteer students and health care providers who are committed to serving rural patients.

No abstract

The article describes a new model of community-based program planning developed by the Centro de Educacion, Prevencion y Accion (CEPA) project, an HIV prevention program for Puerto Ricans located in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Based on models of critical thinking, empowerment and participatory education, the basic philosophy of the CEPA project is to narrow the gap between program developers and program recipients to the greatest extent possible. The article discusses the successes and challenges encountered in approaching this ideal. The article concludes with recommendations for public health professionals considering the use of community-based approaches to address public health issues.

No abstract

Conclusions and Implications: A double-dollar pricing incentive increased FV supermarket purchases in a low-income community. SNAP-eligible customers had the greatest improvements. These results suggest that financial incentives could be an effective strategy for the SNAP program to improve healthy food choices.