Emergency Food Bags Deliver Results

The staff at Avera Dialysis in Sioux Falls identified food insecurity in some of their patients, and because they know the health risks that presents, they reached out to the Avera Foundation for funds to pilot an emergency food bag program. They filled the bags with a variety of healthy foods and recipes with nutrition information and preparation instructions.

“Patients on dialysis and/or with diabetes need to learn healthy methods of cooking. Our dietitians routinely provide recipes to patients, but by also supplying the food for those recipes, patients are more prone to make these items,” said Ann Wipf, RD, LN. “Learning how to plan menus and use portion control helps patients better manage their eating when they select their own foods.”

The Foundation used funds raised during the employee giving campaign, which filled a need for one patient who reported an issue with his SNAP benefits, leaving him without food for a long holiday weekend.

“We sent him home with a bag of staples to see him through until he could straighten out the situation,” Wipf said. “This definitely provided a safety net for him and has helped others who lack resources.”