Second Harvest, One Health Ohio Team Up for Food Distribution

WARREN, Ohio – Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley has teamed up with One Health Ohio to help improve the health of Mahoning Valley residents.

Packaged food boxes were distributed at Kidz First Pediatrics on Tuesday as part of the Food is Medicine program. The tailored food boxes are designed to help prevent, manage and treat chronic diet-related diseases. 

“This is a holistic view of medicine and health care that marries good health, nutrition and healthy eating,” said Dr. Maria Kowal, chief medical officer for One Health Ohio. “It’s been exciting to see how happy our patients are to receive these boxes of food. We are what we eat.”

First lady Fran DeWine, who was in attendance Tuesday to visit with patients and staff members at the clinic, got a first-hand look at the items being distributed.

“Food is medicine, and what we feed our kids makes them healthy or not healthy. I think this is a great partnership here,” DeWine said. “We help feed the kids at school, but it’s important we feed them healthy meals at home too. I love to see unique programs throughout Ohio.”

Boxes will be distributed monthly through One Health Ohio to patients identified by clinicians. 

“We’re very pleased to be working with One Health Ohio. The concept of food is medicine is very simple and something that society has practiced for many years,” said Michael Iberis, executive director of Second Harvest. “With proper nutrition and food, that’s going to equate to good health.”

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.