Since the beginning of COVID-19, Atrium Health has worked closely with community organizations to identify critical service needs within our region. Through surveying efforts, Atrium Health quickly identified a service gap for low-income individuals who struggle with food instability and are unable to quarantine without tremendous hardship. In response, Atrium Health launched a COVD-19 Feeding Program to ensure all individuals can effectively and safely quarantine.
Atrium Health’s COVID-19 feeding program, which launched earlier this year, delivers food, medications and essential supplies to low-income individuals and families who have tested positive for COVID-19. Catherine O’Grady, MSW, LCSW, social worker and program coordinator, works closely with patients and tailors the deliveries to their specific needs, including items for babies or children, medication refills, food items, or other requests for supplies.
Thanks to generous funding from Fifth Third Bank and the support of community partners, such as MedAssist and Loaves and Fishes, the COVID-19 Feeding Program is serving an estimated 30-40 households per week and making 150 deliveries to local families each month.
“Fifth Third Bank is happy to support Atrium Health’s COVID-19 Feeding Program for patients in quarantine. We understand that 2020 has been a highly challenging year for many North Carolina residents,” shared Joel Dancy, Vice President – Community Development, Mid-Atlantic Region, Fifth Third Bank. “Having corporations working together to combat this virus will allow us to move faster as a collective community to provide relief to those in challenging communities that need support. We look forward to continuing to support our healthcare partners during these stressful times.”
With additional financial commitments from corporate partners in our community, Atrium Health hopes to expand the COVID-19 Feeding Program, which is currently limited to residents of Mecklenburg County, to families and individuals who reside in surrounding counties in our region. In-kind donations and volunteers are also needed to help maintain and grow this vital community program. For more information, contact Leslie Sykes at Atrium Health Foundation. To make a donation to the Atrium Health Essential Needs Fund, visit this website (please designate your gift to the “COVID-19 Feeding Program” in the comments section).