The food pantry is part of a pilot program that aims to identify patient families who are experiencing food insecurity, particularly among families who have a child experiencing chronic health issues, according to the hospital.
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank President Dan Flowers; Akron Children’s Hospital’s Chief of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer and Vice President for Community Initiatives Bernett Williams; Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan; Akron Children’s Hospital CEO Christopher Gessner; Rep. Emilia Sykes; Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro; Akron City Council President Margo Sommerville and Summit County Council President Veronica Sims cut the ribbon on Akron Children’s Hospital’s Food Farmacy on Wednesday.
During her time as a state representative, Rep. Emilia Sykes played a key role in the passage of an amendment to the state’s budget in 2020-21 and 2021-22 that funded the pilot program. The $1 million allocated to the program also funded food pantries at“This was and is a very near and dear project to me. It started when I was a member of the Ohio Legislature with an idea to try to bring the concept of food as medicine to our local hospital systems.
“Those of us who have been in healthcare for a long time have seen the importance of food insecurity and addressing food insecurity become more and more prominent and we know in pediatrics, how important the right amount of food and a healthy balanced diet is in keeping children healthy and seeing them grow and develop through their years. And so, it’s a real honor for us to partner with so many important people in the community.
“We want to make sure we are meeting emerging food needs by meeting people where they are – here on campus,” said Bernett Williams, the hospital’s chief of diversity, equity and inclusion officer and vice president for community initiatives. “We’re already seeing value and benefits for families.”
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