The Population Health, Innovation, and Informatics Unit within the Garrett County Health Department established the Garrett County Community Food Network found at GarrettCountyFood.com to organize and document the food and nutrition security efforts fostered within the Unit from competitive state grant awards.
From a public health perspective, the next step toward improving food and nutrition security in Garrett County is to open a food bank.
Garrett County Food Bank with a Harvest Hub Resource Pilot
Reinventing the role of the food bank
Let me introduce a new approach that promotes health and creates pathways for people to connect with services that empower them to thrive. I aim to cultivate connections centered around food and measure those connections meaningfully. Let’s build a community resource that understands food insecurity is a symptom of systemic root causes and work together to address them.
The Garret County Food Bank has the potential to be an anchor organization that goes beyond handing out food to offer comprehensive approaches that address poverty, affordable housing, and health care through an individualized approach. When we collectively work together, imagine the meaningful impacts we can measure as people begin to overcome obstacles.
The notion that everyone deserves to eat well, a foundational principle from the Harvest Hub CSA pilot, will be carried on with funding from the Governor’s Office for Children through the Garrett County Local Management Board to offer healthy local food, including fresh produce in meals box kits that increase nutrition security.
After four years of dedicated work with my team to reduce chronic diseases and improve food security, I’m going into year five with a resolve that we can do better.
The Population Health, Innovation, and Informatics Unit within the Garett County Health Department has focused on building a chronic disease portfolio to improve health outcomes. It began with one small non-competitive state grant. For the last four years, we’ve built upon a concept we pioneered and have secured significant grant funding from multiple awards. We invested a large portion of that money back into our partners, bolstering their efforts and contributing to small business growth. We even started a non-profit to “bridge the food system and farming community.” We’ve worked with some dedicated people and learned valuable lessons about the complexity and challenges of local health improvement in our rural community. Each step has been necessary to get us to where we are today, ready to open the Garrett County Food Bank!
My vision for including a Harvest Hub Resource pilot into the Garrett County Food Bank is to ensure people are better off. It’s not about working harder; it’s about working differently. There’s a national shift happening in charitable food systems; a driver of this shift is an evidence-based model “More Than Food,” that’s helping bring people out of poverty. It’s designed to bring local community organizations together, enroll people in community support programs, and offer on-site classes. The Harvest Hub Resource pilot will utilize this model and be equipped with trained coaches who provide connection points to services beyond immediate food needs in an empowering environment.
Here’s what one person had to say about their experience going through a program utilizing the More Than Food model, “This program has the heart and humility to support and motivate members to have a fresh start, but they guide you with love by helping you put your desires and goals of life in order. They connect you with the many services you need for your own personal growth.”
In her book, Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries, Katie S. Martin says, “Food banks were never intended to be long-term solutions; they were created to meet a critical need.” Katie goes on to explain that by using the More Than Food model, we can provide motivation and help clients set goals for becoming food secure and self-sufficient so they won’t need to keep coming back; it’s one way to transform the charitable food system.
I recognize the problem of hunger is like many of the other challenges in Garrett County. There’s not a single solution to end the symptoms of poverty. It will take a community of collaboration to not only open doors but to create dignified pathways that promote financial well-being and reduce systemic inequities.
It is essential to recognize our strengths and our opportunities for growth in the area of food security. Although we do not have a local food bank that offers consistent and reliable access to food, several faith-based organizations, schools, and non-profits offer food pantries, monthly soup kitchens, or variations, creating a tapestry of goodwill. It’s this local charitable food system that many seek out to ease their burden. An example is the Soup Kitchen at Divine Hope, which served 823 free turkey dinners for Thanksgiving. They partner with us to help quantify what food insecurity looks like in our community by tracking the number of meals they serve each month in an action group on MyGarrettCounty.com.
I recognize the dedication and deeply appreciate the individuals who volunteer their time, resources, and talent to the problem of hunger. I want to honor the people who make that happen. Handing out food won’t solve the long-term problem, but it is essential in the short term.
Our community will still need the local charitable food system, but ideally, the Harvest Hub Resource pilot will shorten the line. This vision is simply one strategy. The resources presented are a collection of lessons learned, small successes, innovation, and a desire to measure results based on lives changed. Consider this a roadmap based on a successful evidence-based model that will continue to garner funding well beyond our initial proposal to build Garrett County’s first food bank.
I need your talent, dedication, and experience, so please join me at the future site of the Garrett County Food Bank at 360 West Liberty Street to begin the journey of creating pathways to greater stability on January 24th, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.
With gratitude,
Shelley
Shelley Argabrite, MA
Health Strategist for Garrett County
Director of Population Health, Innovation, & Informatics & Accreditation Coordinator @ GCHD
Sources (aka- bedside table reading)
https://www.ctfoodshare.org/best-practices
https://irp.cdn-website.com/49f36671/files/uploaded/her-food-bank_FINAL.pdf
https://usda.snapexpress.org/snap-express-meal-kits
https://mygarrettcounty.com/groups/garrett-county-harvest-hub/
