WCHC launches food assistance program for patients - Southeast Iowa Union

A photo of the Nourish Box content. In addition to food, the box contain information on local food banks, and recipes for the package's contents. (Photo courtesy of Amy Martin)

WASHINGTON — Washington County Hospital and Clinics is piloting a new initiative that provides free food to patients who need it. The nutrition comes in "Nourish Boxes,“ with enough to feed a person for roughly a week, funded by the hospital foundation, the nonprofit associated with the institution.

WCHC Diabetes Educator Amy Martin said the program was prompted by necessity for some diabetic patients, who need to carefully control their blood sugar levels.

“To not have food can cause some real health concerns for (people with) too-low blood sugar,” Martin said. “It’s got the food groups included in it, enough to nourish them and be a good compromise. Sometimes, for some people, it’s not about eating the right things, it’s about eating at all.”

While diabetic patients’ needs inspired the program, Martin said the boxes were available to any hospital patients in need, on a case-by-case basis.

“We’re going to have a box at each of our clinics as well as the inpatient side and the emergency room,” she said. “If staff is identifying that someone is having an issue or is identifying that they don’t have enough food, then we can provide them a box.”

The boxes contain not just food, but information, like contacts for local food banks, and recipes for the box’s contents.

While resources like food banks exist in the area, Martin said some people were unwilling or unable to use them.

“Many patients don’t have transportation to get there, or, often, it’s embarrassing, they don’t want to tell somebody that they don’t have food,” she said. “We wanted to be able to help them.”

Martin said the hospital would take a report back to its foundation next year on the program’s use and impact. That data will decide whether funding for the food boxes continues, and how much money it will get if it does.

The food is purchased from a rotation of grocery stores in the Washington area.

“Our goal is to keep the cost of those boxes to about $35 a box,” Martin said. “So we purchased food for the first 25 boxes, and will get more when we need more, I just don’t have the space in my office to store any more.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com

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