CLEVELAND — Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Cleveland Clinic, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, MetroHealth and University Hospitals gathered on Friday to pledge their commitment to addressing hunger in the greater Cleveland area.
“We are honored to host this gathering alongside our hospital partners to announce this critical work to alleviate food insecurity,” said Kristin Warzocha, president and CEO, Greater Cleveland Food Bank. “It is so important that we combine our efforts to do everything we can to address food insecurity and provide hope to families who are struggling right here in Northeast Ohio. When we work together on addressing food insecurity, we can make a greater impact for our neighbors and the entire community and for that I am grateful.”
The following individuals spoke at the event:
- Mayor Justin Bibb, City of Cleveland
- Tom Mihaljevic, MD, CEO & President, Cleveland Clinic
- Cliff Megerian, MD, CEO, University Hospitals
- Airica Steed, Ed.D, RN, President & CEO, MetroHealth
- Kristin Warzocha, President & CEO, Greater Cleveland Food Bank
"The City of Cleveland is committed to a community-led all-of-government approach to food justice for all residents,” said Mayor Bibb. “This includes making it easier to acquire vacant land for urban farmers, transforming the West Side Market to support local food vendors, and recruiting healthy grocers to areas in Cleveland in historically redlined neighborhoods. Our communities continue to struggle with financial and food insecurity, and it is imperative that we address these issues collaboratively as it has significant implications for our future.”
According to Feeding America, there is currently a 20.8% rate of food insecurity among children under the age of 18 in Cuyahoga County.
Cleveland Clinic announced that they will be committing $10.5 million over the next five years to implement several new innovative programs, including a new teaching kitchen at Cleveland Clinic’s Langston Hughes Community Health and Education Center to provide free nutrition education and cooking demonstrations; partnering with Aramark and Morrison Healthcare, to offer food vouchers and grocery delivery service for food insecure patients and their families; and creating five Nourish Plus Food Pharmacies, to prescribe healthy food options for pediatric and pregnant patients as well as the public.
“Caring for our community is a top priority at Cleveland Clinic and we embrace our role as a local leader, working to make a real difference in the lives of our patients and neighbors,” said Dr. Mihaljevic. “We are investing our resources to address this important issue and are proud to join forces with our partners to ensure that every child in Greater Cleveland has access to nutritious food. Together, we can strengthen the neighborhoods we call home and build a healthy community for everyone.”
A partnership with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and the Institue for H.O.P.E. provides monthly distributions at several MetroHealth locations.
“A lack of access to enough nutritious food can have a devastating impact on a person’s health,” said Dr. Steed. “As Cuyahoga County’s super-safety-net hospital, we see the devastating effects of food insecurity every day in our clinics. If we truly want to improve the health and well-being of our community, if we truly want to eradicate health disparities, we must work collaboratively to address this crisis. I am delighted and encouraged to work in a community where all the major health systems share that commitment. Together, I know we can make a difference.”
University Hospitals is continuing to address food insecurity by providing free food and nutritional counseling for patients as well as cooking lessons at its teaching kitchens. Since 2017, University Hospitals has served more than 41,000 free meals to children through its USDA Summer Feeding Program and provided healthy food bags to more than 12,500 families.
“To date, more than 7,600 individuals have been served through our UH Food For Life Markets," said Dr. Megerian. “But we know we can and must do more, which is why in 2024, University Hospitals will be opening two additional Food for Life Markets® in the Lake County and Richmond Heights communities. With these current efforts, and our plans for expansion over the next five years, our commitment to address food insecurity is estimated to total approximately $18 million.”
