food Bank
In communities across the country, food insecurity is a growing problem. Sometimes it’s a lack of access to enough food to live an active, healthy life, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. One in seven people in the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s service area experience food insecurity, meaning they don’t know where their next meal will come from.
Food insecurity is a social determinant of health that has a significant impact on a person’s well-being. In Cuyahoga County alone, there is a 20.8 percent food insecurity rate among children under 18, according to Feeding America.
In response to this public health issue, several local organizations, including MetroHealth, and the City of Cleveland have partnered with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to announce their increased commitment to addressing this issue and making a positive impact for the community.
“The City of Cleveland is committed to a whole-of-government, community-led approach to food justice for all residents,” said City of Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “This includes making it easier for urban farmers to acquire vacant land, transforming the West Side Market to support local food vendors, and recruiting healthy grocers to areas of Cleveland located in historically redlined neighborhoods. Our communities continue to struggle with financial and food insecurity, and it is imperative that we address these issues collaboratively as it has significant implications. for our future. »
Addressing food insecurity and other social factors of health is a top priority for MetroHealth and its Institute for HOPE™. The health system’s Food as Medicine Clinic, for example, provides nutritious food packages twice a month to patients experiencing food insecurity and diagnosed with chronic illness. affected by diet, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Patients who come to the clinic with a prescription from their provider can get a free three-day supply of nutritious foods for their household, as well as a nutrition education, recipes and other support services, for up to one year.
Through a partnership with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, the Institute for HOPE™ also offers monthly produce distributions at several MetroHealth locations. The HOPE & Healing Garden, MetroHealth’s rooftop container garden, also provides free produce to patients, and 70 percent of households served by the program reported experiencing food insecurity. Early next year, MetroHealth will also open a new health clinic at the food bank’s Community Resource Center in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood. Additionally, MetroHealth has committed $1 million over five years to the food bank, which will help provide one million meals to Greater Cleveland residents in need.
“Lack of access to sufficiently nutritious food can have a devastating impact on a person’s health,” said MetroHealth President and CEO Airica Steed, Ed.D, RN, MBA FACHE. “As a true safety net hospital in Cuyahoga County, we see the devastating effects of food insecurity in our clinics every day. If we truly want to improve the health and well-being of our community, if we truly want to eradicate health disparities, we must work collaboratively to address this crisis. I am excited and encouraged to work in a community where all major health systems share this commitment. Together, I know we can make a difference.
To support its dedication to this cause, the Cleveland Clinic announced it will dedicate an additional $10.4 million over the next five years to implement several innovative new programs, including the creation of a new teaching kitchen at the Langston Hughes Community Health and Education Center at the Cleveland Clinic, to provide free nutrition education. and cooking demonstrations; partnering with Aramark and Morrison Healthcare, to provide food vouchers and grocery delivery service to food insecure patients and their families; and create five Nourish Plus food pharmacies, to prescribe healthy food options to pediatric and pregnant patients as well as the public.
Cleveland Clinic’s new investment will also be used to support local food partners, including donations to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and the Children’s Hunger Alliance, as well as a grant to the Nourishing Power Network. This is in addition to funding that the Cleveland Clinic has already contributed to support food insecurity, nutrition and education initiatives.
“Caring for our community is a top priority at Cleveland Clinic and we embrace our role as a local leader, working to make a real difference in the lives of our patients and neighbors,” said Tom Mihaljevic, MD, CEO and Chairman and Morton L. Mandel Chairman and CEO, Cleveland Clinic. “We are investing our resources to address this important issue and are proud to join forces with our partners to ensure every child in Greater Cleveland has access to nutritious food.” Together, we can strengthen the neighborhoods we live in and build a healthy community for all.
University Hospitals has been actively addressing food insecurity in the region since 2018, with the opening of its first UH Food for Life Market.® in the Fairfax neighborhood. This innovative program, in collaboration with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and Sodexo, addresses food insecurity tailored to the specific medical needs of its patients and evaluates the impact of healthy eating on health outcomes. Since then, UH has opened additional locations at UH Cleveland and Portage Medical Centers in 2021 and at UH Conneaut Medical Center in 2022. In November, UH cut the ribbon on its fifth Food For Life Market.® at the UH Glenville Community Wellness Center, located at The Davis, an affordable housing complex in partnership with NRP Group and the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority. Research recently presented at a national meeting in Denver by UH’s Food for Life Markets® shows a decrease in blood pressure in hypertensive patients, blood sugar in diabetic patients and excessive weight gain in pregnant patients.
In addition to free food and nutrition counseling for patients experiencing food insecurity, UH offers free cooking classes in its teaching kitchens. The first kitchen opened at Dave’s Market, next to the UH Rainbow Ahuja Center for Women and Children, in 2018. Two more teaching kitchens opened this year at UH Community Wellness Centers in Bedford and Glenville. Additionally, since 2017, UH has served more than 41,000 free meals to children through its USDA Summer Feeding Program and provided bags of healthy food to more than 12,500 families per year. through healthy and emergency food distribution programs. Through their volunteer leave program, UH caregivers have received paid time to perform more than 1,000 hours of community service over the past two years at various food distribution events.
“To date, more than 7,600 people have been served through our UH Food For Life markets.®, explained UH President and CEO Cliff A. Megerian, MD, FACS, Jane and Henry Meyer, President and CEO Distinguished Chair. “But we know we can and must do more, which is why in 2024 University Hospitals will open two additional Food for Life markets.® in the Lake County and Richmond Heights communities. Through these current efforts and our expansion plans over the next five years, our commitment to combating food insecurity is estimated at approximately $18 million.
“During the pandemic, our three health systems – along with our community partners – demonstrated our strength in serving our communities when we came together to solve pressing societal issues,” added Dr. Megerian. “We also continued to illustrate our collective power in combating the opioid epidemic through our work with the Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium and management of a state-wide addiction psychiatry fellowship. the city, as well as promoting economic prosperity through our efforts with the Cleveland Innovation District, the Healthcare Anchor Network and the Healthcare Sector Partnership. Together, we create scale and a more powerful response if we collaborate when an urgent community need arises. This spirit of “cooperation” is now part of our permanent economic model.
“We are honored to host this gathering alongside our hospital partners to announce this critical work to reduce food insecurity,” said Kristin Warzocha, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. “It is so important that we come together to do everything we can to combat food insecurity and give hope to families who are struggling right here in Northeast Ohio. When we work together to address food insecurity, we can have a greater impact on our neighbors and the broader community and I am grateful.
