Beyond 10,000 meals – education, access are next steps

Nine months ago, four colleges committed to tackling food insecurity in our neighborhoods. We made 10,000 meals to share with families in five Scranton elementary schools – but that was just the beginning. We used the occasion to launch a multi-institution case study whose goal is to achieve measurable change in food insecurity in our region. In August, our students learned a lot about what drives the crisis in our community. They took what they learned and zeroed in on themes of education and access as the key to reducing food insecurity.

On April 6, those themes form the next steps toward making our neighborhoods hunger-free zones.

Healthy Food Festival – a fun, interactive event for Scranton School District families
Saturday, April 6, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

The Healthy Food Fest will:

• Help parents by providing fresh produce and connecting them with resources
• Educate children about making better food choices 

Children and their families will have fun and receive education around food and health. With interactive activities and games, attendees will gain skills and resources they can put to use immediately at home. From cooking demonstrations and cookbooks chockful of healthy recipes built on readily available ingredients, to lessons on how to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into an everyday diet, the Healthy Food Festival will move the needle on local food insecurity by connecting families with resources and empowering them to make nutritious choices.

• Access means making connections -- local nonprofits will have booths at the Healthy Food Fest, including Here for a Reason, Generosity feeds, WIC, the Weinberg Food Bank and others…
• Education means speaking the same language and taking a hands-on approach:
• Several multi-lingual student volunteers will act as translators as necessary
• All families will receive a free food bag provided by the local food pantry
• All families will receive a vital health and oral health screenings

Read about our 10,000 Meals event.

Learn more about Colleges Building Community.

About Geisinger
Geisinger is committed to making better health easier for the more than 1 million people it serves. Founded more than 100 years ago by Abigail Geisinger, the system now includes 10 hospital campuses, a health plan with more than half a million members, a research institute and the Geisinger College of Health Sciences, which includes schools of medicine, nursing and graduate education. With more than 25,000 employees and 1,700+ employed physicians, Geisinger boosts its hometown economies in Pennsylvania by billions of dollars annually. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.