Providence Pediatrics partners with Access to add food pantries

MEDFORD, Ore. – After conducting a social determinants of health screening, Providence Hospital in Medford reached out to Access food pantries. Their goal: to help their patients who struggle with food insecurity.

A food pantry will now be located in the parking lot of the Pediatrics building, and will operate every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2 p.m. The food pantry is open to the public as well as patients. Access Food Programs Director Marcee Champion says this is an important new step for locals who are hungry.

“We are just here to serve the community, serve people who are coming to the clinic around here, but also just to anybody in the neighborhood and the community that is needing some food. we’re here for them,” she says.

Champion says you must be registered in their system and can do so either on site or over the phone. She says you must also meet the income qualification, which is 300% of the poverty rate.

UPDATE: A previous version of this article said the pantry will be available every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Friday of the month from 1 to 2 p.m. That is not correct. NBC5 News apologizes for the error.