Staff Service Day: Bread Basket Program

St. Louis Community Foundation staff recently volunteered at SSM Health DePaul Hospital to fill 200 food bags for the new Bread Basket Program.

The Bread Basket is currently operating at all of the SSM Health adult hospitals: SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital – St. Charles, Wentzville, and Lake Saint Louis, SSM Health DePaul Hospital, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, SSM Health St. Clare Hospital – Fenton, and SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital.

“The Bread Basket program is a two fold approach to addressing food insecurity which includes 2 days worth of non-perishable food and a direct referral to the St. Louis Area Foodbank for connections to long term resources,” said Stephanie Moore, Senior Community Health Specialist. “This program is available to inpatients who screen positive for food insecurity upon admission.”

The screening process measures social determinants of health—access to healthy food, housing and utilities—in an attempt to identify challenges patients are facing on a daily basis. About 600 SSM Health patients per month reveal they are food insecure.

The St. Louis Area Foodbank reports that one in seven people in the bistate region are in need of food assistance. Food bags from the Bread Basket program are packed with healthy, low-sodium option such as items such as crackers, canned fruit, tuna, shelf-stable milk, and cereal to provide meals for two days for their entire household.

Once families are home, St. Louis Area Foodbank follows up to connect them to other nearby food pantries and longer-term assistance programs. The Bread Basket program is considered the start of discovering ways the health system can partner with community organizations in order to improve patient’s well-being.

For more information on the Bread Basket program, contact Stephanie Moore at stephanie.moore4@ssmhealth.com.