When thinking of people
in need for food,
patients leaving the hospital
may not cross your mind.
But a new program is aimed
at helping those people
specifically, and New at 10
Channel 8 Eyewitness News
reporter Macy Meyer joins us
now with more on the story.
Macy.
Well, Rod and
Megan, Bryan Health
and the Food Bank of
Lincoln have joined together
to offer support to
those patients in need.
As patients leave the
hospital, they are oftentimes
still recovering and fragile.
Many aspects to their at-home
healing can be difficult.
But a new program called
Hope Against Hunger
is trying to prevent
patients leaving
the hospital without food.
We know that food is medicine
and should be treated as such.
If someone is being
discharged from the hospital,
they're only partway through
their healing journey.
Bryan Health and the
Food Bank of Lincoln
have partnered to
create backpacks
with over 40 pounds
of food in them
and a variety of items aimed to
speed up their healing process.
Those next days after they're
dismissed from the hospital
are really critically
important to their healing,
and having enough
food in the house
is really going to
make a difference
and a positive impact
on that person.
Patients in need are identified
by two food-related questions
at admission and,
if they qualify,
are offered the backpacks
when they are released.
Both Bryan Health
and the food bank
realize that asking for help
can often be difficult for some,
but want to remind
people seeking assistance
is more than OK.
One of the things they're
going to get from Bryan Medical
Center and what you get from
the food bank is no judgment.
If you ask for
food, you're going
to get it because asking
for food is not always easy.
But the help doesn't
just stop there.
Staff has shown an outpouring
of support for the patients
and wanted to include a little
reminder for those leaving.
They wrote words of
encouragement on some cards
that we're including
in the backpacks,
showing that we're focused
more on just the healing
process, more than just the
nutritional supplementation
process, but also on
supporting our patients
from the community.
The program has already
distributed 60 backpacks
so far, and they say
they have received
thanks and tons of appreciation
from those recipients.
Sounds like it's going well.
All right, thank
you so much, Macy.
