The importance of nutrition for people living with life threatening diseases can't be overlooked. And for those who are of limited means, consuming quality meals is especially difficult.
Locally, the Mercy Hospital group is partnering with Food Outreach to make sure patients with diabetes are getting the meals and the food that they need. Food Outreach's executive director Julie Lock joined KMOX to talk more about the program. Lock told KMOX that uncontrolled diabetes and diabetes are the seventh largest contributor to death rates not only in Missouri, but in the United States.
"A lot of United States citizens and community members are not only struggling with this chronic illness, but diabetes can also complicate people's health and also cause other really serious illnesses," Lock said. "Nutrition is one of the things that can help people with their uncontrolled diabetes."
Food Outreach has been helping feed patients with other chronic illnesses, like people with HIV. Lock said the support originally started with people dying from AIDS, and then about 20 years ago they started focusing on cancer patients.
She said Food Outreach works with registered dietitians to make sure people are getting the foods that would best benefit them, that they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford.
"The majority of Food Outreach's clients, over 82% of our clients live on less than 100% of the federal poverty level, they live on less than $14,000 a year," she said. "Nutrition and access to nutrition in regions like St. Louis is a very complicated issue. And so these we make in our kitchen — scratch prepared, hand packed meals that are frozen."
"Our clients get these wonderful entrees and sides. And we also provide fresh produce, fresh fruits and vegetables, and other grocery shelf stable groceries, primarily proteins, and fruits and vegetables that are canned," Lock added. "So a client gets at no charge two meals a day for two to four weeks at a time."
Lock also talked about what it means to live in a food desert, and how this program helps people. Hear more about how Food Outreach is providing for people below the poverty line who live with diabetes:
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