Creating a network of food pantries to combat food insecurity and ensure better access to food in communities that need it.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – March 04, 2022 – Community First Health Plans announces its 12th Community First Food Pantry installation at Eastside Education Training Center located at 4551 Dietrich Rd. In addition, Community First Food Pantries can now be found in the United Way 2-1-1 Resource Directory and by calling the 2-1-1 Helpline, San Antonio residents and all areas Community First Health Plans serves will be directed to a fully stocked food pantry.
Community First Food Pantries provide communities facing food insecurity access to non-perishable food such as canned goods, dry goods, other essential items, including diapers and body hygiene products. Working alongside community partners, each free-standing, weather-proof pantry is fully accessible to the community at no cost with the majority available 24/7.
“Community feedback has been pivotal to identify areas of need, and as soon as a new request is shared, we quickly move to provide an accessible pantry to the community in need. As we grow, we hope to combat food insecurity and provide non-perishable items to our communities,” says Theresa Scepanski, President and CEO of Community First Health Plans.
Community members who choose to give should consider placing items necessary to your community’s needs, such as selecting easy to open cans that don’t require a can opener. Community First Health Plans will also periodically share donation drives throughout the year that can act as a giving guide for those that choose to donate. The first food pantry drive will be ‘Feed Your Mind Donation Drive’ which focuses on helping students prepare for end of school year testing and will begin on March 21, 2022, and end on April 8, 2022. For this initiative, in addition to donating non-perishable food and essential items, the community should consider giving:
- No. 2 pencils for testing
- Fun educational card games and activities
- Healthy snacks like nuts, granola bars, and fruits
Community members can help in several ways: stop by a pantry location near you and drop off needed non-perishable donations or volunteer your site to house a Food Pantry by contacting Community First Health Plans. To find a Community First Food Pantry near you, please visit: https://communityfirsthealthplans.com/food-pantry/.
Here is a video of how the Community First Food Pantries are made.
ABOUT COMMUNITY FIRST HEALTH PLANS
Community First Health Plans was established in 1995, by the University Health System, specifically to begin providing health care coverage to the citizens of Bexar and the surrounding seven counties. As the only locally owned and managed, non-profit health plan in the area, our commitment to our members is to provide great health care benefits backed by outstanding service, delivered by people who live right here in South Texas. Our goal is to make San Antonio have more successful health outcomes by putting the community first. Learn more at https://communityfirsthealthplans.com/
Contact
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Uchennaya Ogba via email at uche@ehcupr.com.