UB medical students making a difference by delivering fresh food to those in need
By Yoselin Person
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BUFFALO, New York (WKBW) — UB medical students are going above and beyond outside of their work studies to provide fresh food boxes to those in need across Western New York.
It’s part of the “Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic”.
It’s a student-run nonprofit from the UB Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
The clinic now partners with “FreshFix” to deliver food boxes to patients.
One student, Trevor Pashalidis, says this experience has opened his eyes to the food insecurity that some communities face.
“It shows how much work that needs to be done to help bring these communities forward and provide them with adequate nutrition that everyone should have,” he says.
Pashalidis says he loves watching the smiles on residents’ faces when they answer their door.
“It’s really nice to actually make those connections with residents and see how this program is actually benefiting their lives,” the student says.
At the “Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic” all patients are screened for social determinants of health like food insecurities.
“So it’s great to be able to do something about that so when the patient leaves their given information that they will be getting a food box within the next week,” says Jeffier Kruger, a Clinical Associate Professor at UB Department of Community Health and delivered by and coordinated by our students.”
Others part of the program say food insecurity is more prevalent.
“I think it’s a thing that people struggle with coming forward asking for help and I think that it’s a great initiative at the clinic,” says Mary Reed, a Health Manager at UB Lighthouse Medical Clinic. “And it helps us really get out there and help people in need and help bridge the gaps.”
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