The Mount Ascutney Hospital and Health Center’s Food Security Workgroup has evolved over several years to where they are now, but one thing has stayed consistent — the intentional choices they make about the work they do, grounded in community feedback. Originating as one of many rapid responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, the workgroup was folded into the network of other Community Health Improvement Plan workgroups at the hospital and supported by a series of VISTAs and a CDC public health associate. With the goal of being thoughtful and accountable to the community, the group decided that workgroup members could pitch their ideas of what they were seeing as areas of important work, and then run it through a strategy selection matrix. What emerged from that process was the need to do a community wide assessment to figure out exactly where the opportunities for project work were, as set forward by community members impacted by food security challenges.
Over the course of a year and a half the workgroup partnered with other organizations to complete that assessment, including a comprehensive mapping project that the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission and Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission, and MAHHC pooled funding to complete (a fantastic resource that includes layers of data on SNAP usage, stores that accept SNAP or WIC, percentage of school population enrolled in Free and Reduced Lunch, and more). From the assessment, they found areas of potential work that they then put through a community vetting process. Through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, project areas and approaches were refined. The workgroup compensated community members for their time, and provided several ways in which folks could provide their input – from both traditional survey responses to being able to conversationally respond to the questions while visiting various food shelves and resource centers. The group found there were a number of areas in which they couldn’t easily affect change – such as governmental requirements and regulations around food assistance – but there were areas in which they could affect change.
Through this process, the Windsor Food Shelf has been able to do things like offer trolleys to shoppers that help them move their groceries around more easily and are able to be loaded easily onto public transit. The food shelf was also able to install an automatic door, making entry and exit to the food shelf with groceries much more manageable for folks with different physical abilities, folks who use mobility assistance devices, or anyone who may have their hands full at the time. As this is an ongoing process to make the food shelf a more accessible resource to all community members, they are also looking to upgrade their lighting to be more sensory friendly for folks who may be sensitive to different visual stimuli. Co-chairs of the food security work group hope to also host some training for food shelf and community program volunteers with the Special Needs Support Center, as part of their Enable Upper Valley program.
Most recently, the workgroup was able to partner with an Upper Valley mainstay – The Haven – to purchase, install, and stock a satellite food access point in the Windsor Resource Center. This project looks to address the gap in accessibility for community members who may not be able to access their local food shelf while it is open. The project is off to a very promising start, and the group is working with The Haven to find a sustainable funding source to keep the cupboard stocked (as of right now it is tied to intentional food drives or other one-off funding sources).
As this hub continues with their work, we asked what they’d like the Upper Valley to know about their work and food security. They told us that, in addition to centering project work in community participation and feedback, they’d like to highlight the importance of supporting smaller, local food shelves. While larger organizations like The Haven are playing integral roles in making food resources more accessible for all community members, smaller scale local food shelves also play a very important role in their communities. Often, these local resources are easier for community members to get to if they have limited transportation access and are tapped into distinct community needs. When supporting your local food shelves, donating money is preferable, as that puts the food shelf in a position to purchase exactly what their clients want, however they also are appreciative of staples like peanut butter and pasta sauce. Just make sure that whatever food you are donating is in good condition and unexpired, and please… no more canned octopus. But that is for another story!
Written by: Cameron Huftalen
The Mount Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) Food Security Workgroup is a part of the Upper Valley Resilience Network. Learn more about the Upper Valley Resilience Network (UVRN) and sign up for monthly newsletters by visiting the home webpage here!