While Debi Page Ferrarello, MSN, MS, RN, IBCLC, NE-BC, director of Parent Education, hoped to collect a ton of food donations for the Pennsy Pantry ahead of the holidays, she never expected an actual metric ton of groceries to flood in, courtesy of her incredibly magnanimous colleagues.
The pantry was established last spring to help employees who are struggling with food insecurity due to COVID-19, whether because a family member lost their job or they’re experiencing another financial hardship. The pantry has received consistent donations since it opened, but in November, Ferrarello, Patty Inacker, DSW, MBA, administrator of the Behavioral Health Service Line, Carolyn Tobin, director of Food & Nutrition and Environmental Services, and Christine Tierney, RN, MSN, SPHR, Chief Human Resources Officer, announced a hospital-wide challenge to give the pantry a holiday boost.
Inspired by the season of giving and the spirit of friendly competition, the PAH community went above and beyond. For two weeks, departments hurried to fill bins, bags, and boxes with non-perishables and gift cards, eager to earn the winning trophy by collecting the most pounds of food per person on their team. On December 8, a representative of each team weighed their bounty on a large scale next to the Christ Healing the Sick in the Temple painting.
Altogether, PAH staff contributed more than 2,000 pounds of food and more than $2,500 in grocery gift cards to aid their coworkers in need. The Perioperative Materials Management team, led by Senior Director Feargal Roche, came out on top, donating 117.25 pounds of food and $400 in gift cards (calculated to equal an additional 200 pounds for the purpose of the charitable challenge).
“The pandemic’s impact on the local economy has been enormous, and members of the Pennsylvania Hospital team are not immune. The pantry is stocked by Pennsy staff, for Pennsy staff, and there are no questions asked — we just want to help,” Ferrarello said. “The challenge was a huge success, and what’s really amazing is that the donations haven’t stopped. We’ll be stocked for a while, but the bins across campus are still filling up! I’m humbled by the generosity shown across departments.”