Dr. Gander and collaborator, Olivia Obertello, RDN, in the healthy food pantry.
Dr. Jeffrey Gander and his colleagues from the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Amy Wrentmore and dietitian Tegan Medico, won the 2023 UVA Excellence in Public Service Award for their work to combat food insecurity in their pediatrics patients and families. Dr. Gander originally noticed that many of his patients were suffering from diet-related diseases at a young age. In 2020, his team set up a collaboration with a non-profit called Local Food Hub that provides families facing food insecurity with fresh fruits and vegetables. Through initial fundraising efforts, they were able to support 60 families. The team recently received a $500,000 grant from the USDA to study the effectiveness of the program and enroll more families. Additionally, the team established a healthy food pantry in the Pediatrics Battle Building Clinic where any family with food insecurity can receive non-perishable food items. The pantry regularly has 50 visits per month.