WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Food boxes like this one filled with non-perishable food items are now available at the UPMC Community Life Center located in the Williamsport YMCA, as well as UPMC emergency departments and outpatient centers. The health system recently started the Emergency Food Box program to help those in need.
"It's for individuals within the community in our inpatient offices, outpatient clinics, that can share with the nurse or with a provider the feeling if they have issues with obtaining their next meal," said Cymantha Santiago, Community Resource Navigator UPMC.
Staff at the UPMC Community Life Center noticed there was food insecurity among patients through a questionnaire they would fill out during office visits or inpatient stays.
"They're just anonymous questions if they're having any issues with identifying when their next meal is going to be," said Santiago.
The program is a partnership with Central Pennsylvania food bank. Once a patient expresses a food insecurity concern, staff at the UPMC Community Life Center will provide a complementary food box.
"Cereal, rice, pasta, soups, vegetables, boxes vary as they come prepackaged from the central pa foodbank," said Santiago.
The number of items in a box is based on household size. Santiago says the Emergency Food Box Program allows patients to express their food insecurity concerns in a safe environment.
"It's also a great opportunity and a resource for individuals to feel the comfort of coming into the four walls of the hospital to know there's this opportunity for them to receive a support, that it's a complementary support to them."
Food boxes are now available for UPMC patients in need.