EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso Health donated $30,000 to El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank on Tuesday, Jan. 14, which will be going into the food bank’s FARMacy program.
El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank CEO Susan Goodell says the money will help keep the food FARMacy program open and will provide dieticians on staff to help people who have food-related illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.
El Paso Health CEO Carol Smallwood adds that the dietitians on staff will also teach people how to pick the correct foods for their conditions and how to read food labels.
“They’ll teach them how to read food labels. They’ll teach them which foods sound healthy but really aren’t, so that’s why we’re so invested in this program is because it educates people and gives them access to those healthy foods,” Smallwood said.
The program will also help people understand their doctor-prescribed diets and make “wise decisions” when shopping for food, Goodell said.
Goodell says the food bank is also working with Phix, an organization that helps connect the food bank to physicians and nurse practitioners.
“So this is a very seamless referral system that’s all done electronically where patients who are seen by a physician or a nurse practitioner, they would get their medical prescriptions, they would get all the things they need, their diets, but also a referral here to the food bank,” Goodell said.
The food FARMacy provides nutritious food and education to support sustainable changes for healthy living. The program focuses on individuals, managing chronic diet-related illnesses, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. The FARMacy also provides weekly access to nutritious food, personalized guidance, and education to promote informed healthy decisions.
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