Dayton Children’s Hospital Food Equity

Our Why:

In Montgomery County, our most recent food insecurity data shows that 12.8% of the population is food insecure. This means families have a disruption in their eating patterns because of lack of money to buy more food when they need it. Of that 12.8%, we know that children are more likely to suffer. The data from USDA also shows that food insecurity is likely to be recurring, but not necessarily constant, meaning people who are food insecure are dealing with not having enough money for food multiple times a year. There are many reasons why people may be food insecure. In order for us to help kids achieve optimal health, we know that providing food for the family needs to be a part of the solution.

What do we do?

Here at Dayton Children’s Hospital, we provide resources for families who are worried about having enough food in their home in the following ways:

1. Shelf Stable Food Boxes- This is a 3-day supply of shelf stable food that we provide to patient families that let us know that they are struggling with enough food. The idea is that we provide this food while families get connected with some long-term resources which might include SNAP, WIC, and local food pantries. It is important to us that we make sure people have food to eat while they are getting connected to those resources. We use these boxes across almost all Dayton Children’s pediatricians and specialty clinics.

2. Food Pantry- The Dayton Children’s Food Pantry is open two evenings each month. This pantry serves Dayton Children’s patients and the public, allowing us to be more of a long-term resource for families that are having a hard time getting enough food. We do our best to provide meat, produce, and different dry goods. Our goal is to be a friendly and reliable resource for families. Using a food pantry can be a difficult experience for people who need to use it. By being friendly and providing good food, we hope that families feel comfortable and safe using this resource.

3. Produce Delivery Program- We work with clinics to help families who are food insecure to have access to produce. This helps families to stay healthier byeating more fruits and vegetables, while also helping provide a consistent resource for families in need.

How can you help?

· Support our food box program – Each box costs $28 and provides three days of food for a family of four. We are requesting donations to keep this program going! Can you donate $28 to fund a food box for a family? Maybe you can fund about a box a month with a $336 donation or a full month of 80 boxes with a $2000 donation.

Volunteer in our food pantry – If you are interested in regularly volunteering to support our food pantry, contact Emily Callen, our Community Food Equity Manager or sign up using this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EADAB2DAAFCC43-food#/