AHN Grove City, Healthy Food Center to Kickoff Monthly ‘Healthy Food Pop-up Pantry’ Events on Friday, July 12th

Grove City, PA –  Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) Grove City Hospital and the AHN Healthy Food Center  announced today the launch of a monthly healthy food pop-up pantry event aimed at increasing community access to healthy foods and nutrition education. The first event will take place this Friday, July 12th from 11 a.m. until supplies last in the hospital’s parking lot.

Offered in partnership with the Mercer County Food Bank, the pop-up pantry will be held the second Friday of each month through the end of the year. The event is open to the public and no pre-registration is required.

Attendees will receive fresh produce, frozen meats and shelf-stable items like low sodium canned vegetables and fruits, peanut butter, dried beans, brown rice, pasta and canned chicken. In addition to hospital staff who will help to distribute goods, staff from the Healthy Food Center – part of the AHN Center for Inclusion Health – will be on hand to provide recipes and nutritional information which support healthy eating habits.

This initiative is part of the hospital’s continued efforts to support patients who are identified as being food insecure. Food insecurity is a prominent issue in Mercer County with more than 15,000 people, including over 4,000 children, not knowing where their next meal will come from, said Christopher Clark, DO, MHA, president, AHN Grove City.

“We know that there are many families across our communities who are vulnerable to hunger and poor nutrition,” said Dr. Clark. “Together with our good friends at the Mercer County Food Bank, we are so pleased to offer these pop-up events which gives us an opportunity to reach even more individuals who are in need and positively impact their overall health and wellbeing.”

The AHN Healthy Food Center is among the first programs nationwide to provide patients with free nutritious food items in addition to disease-specific nutrition counseling from hospital-based locations. The first Healthy Food Center opened in 2018 at AHN West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh. The center has since expanded to five additional locations and provides services across the network’s footprint.  

Future pop-up pantry events will be held at Grove City Hospital on Aug. 9, Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 8 and Dec. 13. For more information, contact 724-450-7000.

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