The Wellness Pantry as Part of a Multi-Pronged Approach to Treating Food Insecurity

Health equity exists when all people, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, disability, socio-economic status, geographic location, or other societal constructs, have fair and just access, opportunity, and resources to achieve their highest potential for health. Unfortunately, social and political determinants of health negatively affect many communities, their people, and their ability to lead healthy lives. In 2020, 10.5% of the United States population reported food insecurity. This is approximately 38.3 million people annually experiencing inconsistent or lack of access to food.
To meet the needs of this underserved population, several network clinics collaborated with a local food bank to create wellness pantries to provide sustenance to families until a consistent food source can be secured through a referral to the food bank and the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP). Since the inception of the first two wellness pantries in October 2021, a third was added in February 2022 and fourth in November 2022. The operational goal is to have wellness pantries located in all organization clinic locations. To date, the four operating wellness pantries have distributed 30,590 pounds of food to over 1,000 families. The program has an immediate impact on the well-being of the rural population.
The impact that food insecurity has on an individual’s health magnifies the need to provide sustainable food to individuals in need. Adults suffering from food insecurity have a great risk of obesity chronic disease. Children are also impacted as there is a higher likelihood of developmental problems among children who suffer from food insecurity. Healthcare facilities have the opportunity to make a significant impact by utilizing touch points during a patient’s visit to improve food insecurity in rural locations. The collaboration between food banks and healthcare facilities can provide a model the substantial impact health facilities can have on the population they serve.
This established program has an immediate impact on addressing the food insecurity crisis that we are facing. This is an opportunity for other facilities to copy this blueprint and make the same impact in their communities.
Objectives: Understand the state of food insecurity in rural populations. Identify the actions taken to implement wellness pantries in the healthcare setting. Improve population health with knowledge gained to implement food pantry in learners’ area.