Maryland Food Bank launches first food pantry inside a health care setting

Maryland Food Bank launches first food pantry inside a health care setting

STARTED, THE MARYLAND FOODBANK HAS ADDED ABOUT 90 NEWPARTNERS TO ITS NETWORK OFORGANIZATIONS WHO AREDISTRIBUTING FOOD TO THEGROWING NUMBER OF FOODINSECURE FAMILIES.

ONE OFTHOSE NEW PARTNERSHIPS IS AFOOD PANTRY INSIDE OF APEDIATRIC CLINIC AT JOHNSHOPKINS CHILDRENFIRST OF ITS KIND FOR THE FOODBANK.

WMA━2 NEKNIGHT HAS THIS STORYTRACK ONE: INSIDE THE HARRIETLANE CLINIC AT JOHNS HOPKINSCHILDRENPANTRY TAKES OVER A LARGECLOSET NEAR THE EXAM ROOMS.ITOFFER TO FAMILIES WHO COME FORA VISIT.

((Kristen)) 1:29 welike to really look at it as aon━stop shop when ourfamilies come here, we canprovide diapers and connectthem to a number of otherresources while thfor their medical care 1:39TRACK TWO: KRISTIN TOPEL ISTHE PROGRAM MANAGER OF HOPKINSCOMMUNITY CONNECTION, WHICHOVERSEES THE RESOURCE DESKS ATTHE CLINICS WITHIN THEHOSPITAL.

SHE SAYS OVER A YEARAGO, HOPKINS AND THE MARYLANDFOOD BANK LAUNCHED A PILOTPROGRAM TO START A FOOD PANTRYINSIDE THE HARRIET LACLINIC.

((Kristen)) 3:39 wereally brainstormed how doesthis make sense to bring apantry into medical care likethis and it just was abeautiful partnership from thebeginning and it turned outwere ready to open in mi━March right when things reallystarted changing for oufamilies 3:56 STANDUP: ANDTHAT TIMING CHANGED THEOPERATIONS OF THE FOOD PANTRY.THE CLINIC INITIALLY THOUGHTTHEY WOULD SERVE MAYBE 20FAMILIES A MONTH, BUT SINCETHE START OF THE PANDEMIC INMI━ MARCH, THEYOUT TO ABOUT 200 FAMILIES.((Kristen)) 9:37 I will say inthe beginning we could notkeep it stocked fast enough,they would come in and itwould be gone immediately 9:40((BUTT WITH)) 9:58 we know howimportant this is to theoverall health of our childrenand their families and itnot the time to tell familiesthat our pantry is out of food10:06 TRACK THREE: THEMARYLAND FOOD BANK IS WORKINGCLOSELY WITH THE CLINIC TOENSURE NO FAMILY LEAVES THEREWITHOUT MEALS TO TAKE HOME.THIS IS THE FIRST TIME TFOOD BANK HAS SET UP A PANTRYINSIDE A HEALTHCARE CENTER ANIT LIKELY WON((Meg)) 4:58 we are absolutelylooking at this as somethingthat we will take it and writeit up and turn into a seriesof best practices that we canuse with other healthcaresystems across the state 5:07TRACK FOUR: BOTH HOPKINS ANDTHE FOOD BANK CONSIDER THISFOOD PANTRY TO BE A SUCCESS,EVEN AS IT GOES THROUGH WHATWILL BE ONE OF ITS MOSTCHALLENGING TIMES IN ITSEXISTENCE.

ITGREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FORBOTH INSTITUTIONS.

((Meg))2:06 what Hopkins was able tobring to this partnership thatthey are addressing foodinsecurity but also looking atthe root causes and thedrivers of food insecurity intheir patient population 2:15((BUTT WITH)) ((Kristen)) 9:15we were really new to this andwhat a time to open up apantry so without theirguidance I donwould be they really set us upfor success 9:21 TRACK FIVE:IN BALTIMORE, MK WMA━2 NEWS.WMA━2 NEWS IS TEAMING U