Annual Report 24-25 Digital - Flipbook - Page 16
The Annual Report 2024-2025 | FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
on us not just for food, but for support that
matches their health needs. We knew we
could do more.”
HEALING
THROUGH
FOOD
With a generous grant from the Froedtert
Community Investment Fund and in
partnership with Froedtert & the Medical
College of Wisconsin, the Pantry launched
a pilot program that delivers more
than groceries. Froedtert nurses screen
participants, conduct monthly check-ins,
and lead classes on nutrition, hypertension,
and stress management. Dietitians helped
adapt meal plans — initially based on NIH
and Mayo Clinic guidance – to better re昀氀ect
the real-life needs and limitations of Pantry
guests.
Across the country, there’s growing
recognition that food is more than just
nourishment — it’s healthcare. At the Jewish
Community Pantry, that truth is seen every
day. Guests often arrive not only in need
of food, but also managing chronic health
conditions like high blood pressure or
diabetes. In response, the Pantry launched
Food is Medicine, a new initiative that
transforms emergency food assistance into
a tool for long-term wellness.
Participants receive healthy recipes and
ingredients each month, along with
education about the DASH diet, stress
reduction, and lifestyle changes to support
long-term health. Another key partner is
Bonim Farms at the Albert & Ann Deshur
JCC Rainbow Day Camp, which supplies
hundreds of containers of herbs and spices
each month, helping guests 昀氀avor meals
without relying on sodium. “We’re not just
handing out food,” says Heidi. “We’re giving
people tools to care for themselves and their
families. That’s a di昀昀erent kind of strength.”
“We’ve always provided food in times of
crisis,” says Pantry Director Heidi Gould, “but
with Food is Medicine, we’re becoming part
of the long-term solution to chronic health
challenges. We’re helping our guests live
stronger, healthier lives.”
The idea took root after Heidi watched the
昀椀rst U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services Food is Medicine Summit in January
2024. The summit highlighted how evidencebased nutrition interventions – when paired
with healthcare systems — can signi昀椀cantly
reduce chronic disease in low-income
communities.
Food is Medicine builds on the Jewish
Community
Pantry’s
nearly
50-year
mission to serve Milwaukeeans in crisis.
It’s a re昀氀ection of what it means to move
from strength to strength — evolving from
emergency response to preventative care,
and from service to systemic impact.
That message hit home. Of the 22,000
individuals served annually by the Pantry,
90% identify as Black or African American,
and 30% are older adults — two populations
at higher risk for chronic illness. The three
Milwaukee ZIP codes the Pantry serves
also rank “low” on the Health Equity Index,
underscoring deep, systemic barriers to
health. For many guests, access to nutritious,
medically appropriate food isn’t just limited –
it’s nearly out of reach.
“Our guests are doing their best with very
limited resources,” Heidi explains. “Many rely
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