The Inpatient Food Pantry at UNC Nash Has Distributed More Than 1,000 Food Boxes
The UNC Health Nash Inpatient Food Pantry has distributed more than 1,000 food boxes to patients in need, with the 1,000th box going out in September and the 1,500th milestone quickly approaching. Made possible by generous donors to the UNC Health Nash Foundation, the Inpatient Food Pantry ensures qualifying patients have access to healthy meal options after leaving the hospital. Eligible patients receive food boxes at the time of discharge that are customized to their medical condition or dietary needs.
Since the food pantry opened in late 2021, food boxes have been provided to qualifying patients in every inpatient area in the hospital. In 2022, the food pantry started distributing boxes to qualifying patients in the cancer center.
The Inpatient Food Pantry helps alleviate the stress patients often feel as they transition back into their home setting. Disease-specific food boxes customized to patient dietary needs, such as healthy choice, diabetes and heart-health, allow patients to recover at home while reducing their chance of hospital readmission. The boxes include shelf-stable food items provided in partnership with the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, healthy recipes, fresh produce provided by Ripe Revival and a guide to food resources and other food pantries in the community. Cancer center patients receive an additional bag with high caloric items tailored to their health needs due to their treatment.
“I am always excited about the great work we do at UNC Health Nash and in the Food Pantry,” said Dee Battle, UNC Nash food pantry coordinator. “Having distributed more than 1,000 boxes is a testament to our commitment to addressing social determinants of health and directly impacting the health and wellbeing of our community.”
According to data collected, an average of 50 patients per month are identified as food insecure. For many of those patients, the ability to support themselves during recovery often comes down to deciding between affording medications or affording food. The assistance provided through the Inpatient Food Pantry can give patients the peace of mind to not only have access to both, but to also have continued support and resources after discharge.
“By eliminating the question of food, it is our hope that discharged patients will be more likely to fill their prescriptions or acquire other necessities they would otherwise go without,” said Kathleen Fleming, director of the UNC Health Nash Foundation. “The Foundation board has been very passionate about this cause, and we also saw great support from the community when raising the funds to expand this vital program. We are thrilled to have distributed more than 1,000 boxes in our community, and we look forward to providing thousands more.”
Kirby Slade, community development director at UNC Health Nash, explained how important the food pantry is to the community.
“Data collected in 2021 when the food pantry opened showed that 13.9 percent of the population in our service area was food insecure at that time – that means almost 14 percent of our neighbors had limited access to food for themselves or their families,” he said. “That’s 2 percent higher than the state average. Much work has been done over the years and numbers are moving in the right direction for the state and counties, but there is still much work to do. We are seeing declines in state and county data, but the reports of food insecurity that we see among patients have risen, meaning it is still a key social determinant of health in our community that we will continue to work to address.”
For those interested in supporting the Inpatient Food Pantry and being a part of its impact in the community, visit the UNC Health Nash Foundation’s website at www.unchealthnashfoundation.org or contact Kathleen Fleming at kathleen.fleming@unchealth.unc.edu or 252-962-8583.
