North Mississippi Medical Center food pantry for cancer patients seeing need increase as food prices rise

TUPELO, Miss out on. (WCBI) – Foods insecurity is one particular of the quite a few hardships that cancer patients deal with. But it’s just one that North Mississippi Professional medical Middle Cancer Care doesn’t want its sufferers to face on their have.

“People arrive in listed here and they confide in us and explain to us, ‘Hey, I really do not know if I have sufficient foods to very last till the conclude of the 7 days,’” says oncology social worker Lauren Thompson.

The Hope Food items Pantry has provided meals for most cancers clients since 2019.

“A most cancers diagnosis is high priced and it brings about a improve in economic status,” says Jamie Grissom, an additional oncology social worker for NMMC Most cancers Centre. “So someone who may perhaps have been monetarily audio a week back can come across themselves needing guidance and occasionally that falls less than needing foodstuff in the property.”

Thompson aided create the foodstuff pantry system right after observing how many people she would refer to space foods pantries on a standard foundation.

“I experience like the will need is going up significantly for sufferers needing foodstuff with the maximize in prices and anything else,” she claims.

The major a few products that they often need are shelf-stable milk, crackers and peanut butter. Thompson suggests the shelf-steady milk is the product they commonly operate out of to start with.

“We need to have that simply because folks use that in the recipes to make some of the boxed dinners, they’ll use that with cereals,” she claims.

And crackers and peanut butter fulfill numerous of their patients’ demands.

“Especially most cancers individuals staying unwell, that is a little something which is primary, it settles their tummy and every person appears to want that,” Thompson claims.

They also have a large desire for canned goods like soup, greens, and SPAM.

“We consider to preserve healthier foods in inventory for our sufferers and we consider to retain cereals and treats for the young young children that may possibly be in the house,” says Grissom.

And just as a lot of of their sufferers depend on them for foodstuff, the pantry by itself depends on donations.

“I have had individuals cry when they get the food stuff mainly because they’re so appreciative of it and just observing these folks out in public, you do not know who requirements what in their everyday living,” Thompson states. “At the close of the day, you built a big difference by what you did and what you donated to aid the men and women in our local community.”

Those intrigued in producing a donation can phone 662-377-2269. To find out much more about how to make a financial donation or the place to drop off foodstuff, click on listed here.