FLOSSMOOR, IL — The University of Chicago Ingalls Memorial has partnered with Flossmoor officials to create a nutrition station for cancer patients who struggle to keep up with healthy meals while maintaining their treatment, university officials said Nov. 4.
Health officials said they were sure not to call the Complimentary Nutrition Station a food bank in order to avoid a stigma surrounding needing assistance. The idea was first formed by social workers at the center who acknowledged the importance of a healthy diet while undergoing chemotherapy.
While the food and water provided at the center are primarily for cancer and hematology patients, officials said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony no one will be turned away.
The ceremony took place at the Ingall’s site in Flossmoor, but nutrition stations have also been open in Tinley Park and Harvey since June. The one in Flossmoor started serving patients in October.
The difference between the station and other food pantries in the area is the quality of food and access to recipes, officials said. At the nutrition station, patients are allowed to take as much food as they need and are given printed recipes on how to prepare a healthy meal with the ingredients they take.
The food comes from donations and the Center for Food Equity in Medicine, which helps stock the shelves with healthy options.
The Complimentary Nutrition Station in Flossmoor is open on days when the University of Chicago Medicine Oncology-Hematology office is open, typically from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Source: https://patch.com/illinois/homewood-flossmoor/nutritious-food-pantry-opens-cancer-patients-flossmoor