Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic the population served by the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center had a food insecurity rate of 50 percent.
The virus outbreak has put more and more people at risk of being food insecure as many residents lose jobs or experience a reduction in income.
Last week, in partnership with the American Red Cross, the EBNHC staff and volunteers were able to stock the new Community Resource Center at 282 Meridian St. with emergency canned and dry goods for the Health Center’s most vulnerable population.
EBNHC Vice President Steve Snyder said the Health Center has been working with the Red Cross, who is making weekly deliveries of food to EBNHC’s Community Resource Center, and EBNHC staff are making bags of food to distribute to patients and other clients.
“So far we have connected over 300 people to food,” said Snyder. “Beginning this week we will be doing food drop off to high risk patients.”
As calls for food needs continue to grow the Health Center is actively looking at how to increase our capacity to meet the growing need.