Encouraging patients to make healthier diet choices plays a vital role on their road to recovery and overall wellness, but Pennsylvania Hospital recently took the focus on food and nutrition a step further during “National Nutrition Month” – a campaign that emphasizes the importance of nutritional competence and adopting healthy food and activity choices.
Between offering nutrient-packed meal options like zoodles, lettuce wraps, weekly salad specials, and smoothies in the cafeteria, and filling the monitors with informational slides about the best ways to fuel our bodies, PAH’s Food & Nutrition (F&N) team was able to inspire staff and guests alike to broaden and refresh their food horizons and take steps towards a balanced lifestyle.
The highlight of week, though, was the food drive. Every November, F&N teams up with the Emergency Food Pantry at PAH’s Hall-Mercer Community Behavioral Health Center to stage a food drive. This year, the teams decided to introduce a second, springtime drive not only to complement the month-long nutrition theme, but because rates of hunger don’t simply drop just because the temperatures are rising. One in five Philadelphians reportedly struggles with food insecurity, and approximately 50 Hall-Mercer patients rely on help from the pantry each month to provide food for themselves and their families.
“People are hungry all year, not just during the holiday season when ‘giving back,’ is at the top of mind,” said Carolyn Tobin, director of Food & Nutrition and Environmental Services. “It’s really important to recognize that the need is always present, and we can always take action to help those struggling with hunger in our community. The patients of Hall-Mercer and their families often need extra support, and I’m hopeful that this successful food drive will make a difference.”
A whopping 450 pounds of non-perishable food items – canned fruits and veggies, hearty rice and pasta, protein-packed peanut butter, and more – were ultimately collected and donated by PAH staff members! Members of the Food Pantry Committee will work with case managers and their patients to determine need-based distribution and to combat hunger in the Hall-Mercer community.
“Generous grants from the Harrison Fund and donations from local grocery stores make it possible for us to fill the pantry throughout the year, and food drives at PAH are also very helpful in keeping it stocked,” said Maureen DeCarlo, a Hall-Mercer case manager. “We’re so grateful to PAH’s staff for their continued support in our effort to ensure those in need can feed themselves and their families.”