April Community Service
Hours: 1.33
Cumulative: 27.61
Word Count: 351+
Two clients were assigned.
My duty was to make phone calls twice a week to confirm the food
delivery. The food delivery was expected
to occur every Monday and Thursday. I
corrected their home addresses and confirmed the best phone number for the
delivery person to make contact. I
counted how many people were in the household.
HandsOn New Orleans had coordinated the “Serve our Senior” meal delivery. The effort was a partnership of the Mayor's Office, HandsOn New Orleans, and the World Central Kitchen. The World Central Kitchen is a non-profit organization led by a professional chef and an advisory board that includes judges from the Food Network show “Chopped.”
The initial phone call took the longest because the database input info was incorrect. I had to enter the correct address. During each follow up, I had to make sure that there was no problem. Then, the info was entered into an online database. The meal delivery service were made fresh on the days of delivery. Underserved members of community often experience food insecurity. I made sure to note any special needs such as any mobility restrictions. During the follow up, the clients raved about the food and thanked the service.
HandsOn New Orleans had coordinated the “Serve our Senior” meal delivery. The effort was a partnership of the Mayor's Office, HandsOn New Orleans, and the World Central Kitchen. The World Central Kitchen is a non-profit organization led by a professional chef and an advisory board that includes judges from the Food Network show “Chopped.”
The initial phone call took the longest because the database input info was incorrect. I had to enter the correct address. During each follow up, I had to make sure that there was no problem. Then, the info was entered into an online database. The meal delivery service were made fresh on the days of delivery. Underserved members of community often experience food insecurity. I made sure to note any special needs such as any mobility restrictions. During the follow up, the clients raved about the food and thanked the service.
Ms. J was quick to share about her needs for sanitary
supplies like toilet paper. I was
advised to direct these requests to 211. Then, she referred me to clients who
could also use the service.
Mr. S was a little difficult to reach. He did not have a mobile phone or a phone equipped with voicemail or text, because he explained
that his Lifeline account got cancelled. He explained how he had to get a new wheelchair and because of the unexpected medical expense, he was not able to spend as much for food.
Each volunteer hour was valued at $25.44 an hour according to
federal guidelines. Each hour was going to
be used as FEMA reimbursement to the
City of New Orleans. Hopefully with the
additional reimbursement, the City of New Orleans can conform to the
recommended guidelines issued by the CDC and fix housing and improve public
transportation.
The Pandemic & Innovation
Why didn’t we have this sooner?
Interventions addressing health disparities and food insecurity
should have been addressed sooner and with greater urgency. It took a pandemic to dismantle apathy and to
initiate action.
The Pandemic is also an opportune time for demagogues to truncate the protections of the most vulnerable.
The President is working on limiting the distribution of food stamps, which primarily benefits poor children whose only fault is that they were born to poor families.
Providers who are not familiar with the socioeconomic determinants of health will say the same advice: Exercise more. Consume fewer calories and salt.
If your patient lives in fear of housing or financial insecurty, the provider's advice on wellness will get translated as "Blah blah blah." If your patient is poor, your patient probably cannot afford quality food or the time to make the food (go to the grocery store, stand in line, haul the groceries, wash the vegetables, chop the vegetables, cook, wash the dishes and cooking utensils, take out the garbage, store the leftovers). Why go through all that after a tiring day of work when you can quiet the stomach rumblings at Ick-Fill-Eh? Too late. Your limbic system overrode the wiser prefrontal cortex and there you are now, waiting in line, selecting your dipping sauce. Your patient can live in a neighborhood that does not permit safe walking routes.
District of Columbia v. U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S. District Court - District of Columbia, March 13, 2020): The federal district court issued a nationwide preliminary injunction halting a federal rule that would remove an estimated 700,000 individuals from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Read the abstract here. The Network for Public Health Law
The President is working on limiting the distribution of food stamps, which primarily benefits poor children whose only fault is that they were born to poor families.
Providers who are not familiar with the socioeconomic determinants of health will say the same advice: Exercise more. Consume fewer calories and salt.
If your patient lives in fear of housing or financial insecurty, the provider's advice on wellness will get translated as "Blah blah blah." If your patient is poor, your patient probably cannot afford quality food or the time to make the food (go to the grocery store, stand in line, haul the groceries, wash the vegetables, chop the vegetables, cook, wash the dishes and cooking utensils, take out the garbage, store the leftovers). Why go through all that after a tiring day of work when you can quiet the stomach rumblings at Ick-Fill-Eh? Too late. Your limbic system overrode the wiser prefrontal cortex and there you are now, waiting in line, selecting your dipping sauce. Your patient can live in a neighborhood that does not permit safe walking routes.
United Way HandsOn
Fri 4/24/2020 11:16 AM
 |
World Central Kitchen
If you are elderly or know someone in need of delivery, please contact Connie Uddo at connie [at] nolatreeproject.org https://twitter.com/NolaTreeProject
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