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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A local hospital system is teaming up with South Dakota’s largest hunger-relief organization to further assist patients.
The shelves are stocked with peanut butter, chicken, green beans, and rice… food for people in need. But it’s a location you might not expect to find such items. Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls now has a clinic-based food pantry for patients who experience food insecurity.
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“Big problem in Sioux Falls, big problem in eastern South Dakota, big problem in the upper midwest, and so this is our attempt to try to make a difference in that space,” Avera McKennan Regional President and CEO Dr. Ronald Place said.
Dr. Ronald Place is the regional president and CEO of Avera McKennan and says the program initially will focus on pediatric and obstetric patients.
“We’re going to start on this campus with those very specific areas. We don’t want to try and make a big bang and then make all kinds of mistakes, we want to make small mistakes early and figure out how we’re doing all these things, find ways that we can be better involved, find better ways that we can involve other members of the community,” Dr. Place said.
The food pantry was made possible by a federal Healthy Start grant. The dollars were used on staffing and to provide the space for the food, which was provided by Feeding South Dakota.
“Any way that we can add an additional access point to nutritious food, Feeding South Dakota is always a big proponent of,” Feeding South Dakota Chief Development Officer Megan Kjose said.
Megan Kjose is the chief development officer for Feeding South Dakota.
“Being able to provide food in this emergent need, when folks really don’t have access to that food and when it’s impacting their way to live a healthy lifestyle that’s always going to move the mission of Feeding South Dakota forward,” Kjose said.
Feeding South Dakota is likely a longer term solution for patients, but Dr. Place says Avera is happy to play its role.
“We see ourselves as an important bridge, an important safety net, whatever the right metaphor is to help people in times of trouble, but to help them out so they’re not in times of trouble any more. The whole idea isn’t to make this the biggest thing possible, the whole idea is to be just big enough, just important enough, just in the right place at just the right time to help people, that’s the goal,” Dr. Place said.
All in an effort to eliminate hunger.
In addition to Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls, Avera St. Benedict in Parkston is currently participating in the pilot program. If it proves successful, Avera hopes to expand to even more clinic sites.
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