A Special Partnership with NH Food Bank plus a Month-Long Donation Drive
Bristol, NH – On Wednesday, August 21st beginning at 4:30 PM and staying open until all produce is gone, volunteers from the New Hampshire Food Bank (a program of Catholic Charities NH) and Mid-State Health Center will distribute fresh fruits and vegetables in the parking lot of Mid-State’s Bristol office at 100 Robie Road, just off Route 104. This event is free and open to the public – anyone in need can participate with no ID or proof of residence required.
As the staff at Mid-State gear-up to celebrate National Health Center Week (August 4-10), they took to heart this year’s theme of Rooted in Communities: The Social Determinants of Health. Health disparities negatively affect people who experience social or economic obstacles to health; and, part of Mid-State’s vision is to ensure patients get the help they need, when they need it.
Mid-State Board Member and Bristol Town Administrator Nicholas Coates said, “It’s important to think upstream. Good nutrition leads to good health, and that’s what we want for the patients who visit Mid-State, their families, and all the citizens of our region.” Grants and Programming Director Wendy Williams added, “We listened when our staff said that food insecurity is an issue they feel passionately about. Mid-State is proud to host this event, because we believe access to nutritious foods is important to the communities we serve.”
Additionally, for the full month of August, both offices of Mid-State will accept donations of non-perishable foods, toiletries, and back-to-school supplies from their employees, patients, and community members. In September (Hunger Action Month), these donations will be delivered to Community Centers and Got Lunch programs in Ashland, Bristol, Danbury and Plymouth. Questions about the Fresh Food Pantry or month-long donation drive may be directed to Susan Connolly at (603) 536-4000 x1010 or sconnolly@midstatehealth.org.
About the New Hampshire Food Bank:
The New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, has been working to relieve hunger in the Granite State since 1984. The New Hampshire Food Bank receives no federal or state funding for food distribution. In 2018, as the state’s only Food Bank, the New Hampshire Food Bank efficiently procured and distributed more than 14.1 million pounds of food to people in need through more than 425 non-profit registered agencies. Agencies include food pantries, neighborhood centers, low-income housing sites, senior nutrition centers, family crisis centers, hospices, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after school programs, and day care centers. For more information about the New Hampshire Food Bank, please visit www.nhfoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.