(Cleveland) - Key Bank announced today a $500,000 contribution to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s Food as Medicine Initiative.
The program provides regular nutritious food to clients who are low-income and diagnosed with food related health challenges such as diabetes and hypertension in order to improve health outcomes.
Key Bank presented the contribution Thursday, October 18 at the Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services Southeast, monthly distribution of fresh produce.
Terry Jenkins, president of Key Private Bank says the donation will help the program expand over the next two years providing thousands more pounds of nutritious produce.
Charity Hall, outreach manager for Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services says Research has shown that increasing access to fresh produce and perishable food has a positive effect on health, therefore, the food bank is partnering with healthcare institutions like hers, to provide access to ongoing healthy food to low-income clients diagnosed with certain food related illnesses in order to improve health outcomes.
Greater Cleveland Food Bank President Kristin Warzocha says more than 330,000 people in our community are food insecure, and approximately 300,000 of these individuals are local residents who turn to the food bank and their more than 900 program partners for assistance each year, of those 23% struggle with health concerns many of which are food related.
(Photos by Ken Robinson/WTAM)
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