Someone in need might not be willing to go to a food bank, but they’ll probably still get help for their medical needs.
That’s the idea behind a new food pantry program at Utah Valley Hospital in Provo which is giving healthy meals to patients in need.
“We know that when we have good food in us, we can think more clearly, we can work harder, we can heal,” said Cheryl Call, the volunteer services director at the hospital.
The meals are available twice a week as part of the hospital’s not-for-profit Volunteer Care Clinic. More than 35 meals have been distributed since October.
There’s no criteria for receiving a meal. If a caregiver thinks the patient needs it, they can give it to them. The meals are discreetly wrapped.
Volunteer services worked with the hospital’s food and nutrition services, along with a clinical dietician, to come up with the meals. The meals contain 700 calories, 18 grams of protein and eight grams of fiber. They also include cooking instructions and information about community resources.
Call wanted a meal someone could eat without having to use a can opener or having to heat something up.
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