PCOM Opens Food Pantries at Area Healthcare Centers
Partnership with Bebashi offers support for food insecure individuals and families.
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has partnered with Bebashi – Transition to Hope, a full-service HIV/AIDS nonprofit organization, to open food pantries at two of its Healthcare Center locations in Philadelphia. The food pantries will serve PCOM patients and their families visiting the Cambria Division Healthcare Center, starting on October 30, 2020, and the Lancaster Avenue Healthcare Center, which is scheduled to be opened within a few months, as well as the surrounding communities.
“As a key social determinant of health, food insecurity continues to be a major issue affecting patient outcomes,” said PCOM President & CEO Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81. “Our partnership with Bebashi addresses a critical need in Philadelphia, while also supporting the basic healthcare needs of our patients.”
Amanda Finnell, Bebashi’s director of development, commended the partnership stating, “Bebashi’s mission has always been focused on empowering persons to enhance the quality of their health and overall well-being. Partnering with PCOM on this pantry has allowed us to expand the reach of our hunger relief efforts and assist more communities that may be in need.”
The food pantries at each location plan to serve approximately 100 individuals and families per month, with additional resources available if needed. Bebashi currently operates the FoodFirst Emergency Food Pantry, located at their Spring Garden Street office, which provides boxed and canned foods as well as fresh meats, fruits and vegetables.
Individuals and families interested in accessing the food pantry services should call the Cambria Division Healthcare Center at 215-578-3300 for details on hours of operation.
About Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Founded in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM offers doctorate degrees in educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy and psychology, and graduate degrees in aging and long-term care administration, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, mental health counseling, organizational development and leadership, physician assistant studies and school psychology. Our students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations in inner-city and rural locations. For more information, visit pcom.edu.
About Bebashi – Transition to Hope
Bebashi -Transition to Hope was founded as a full-service HIV/AIDS nonprofit organization with special interest in serving low-income people of color with HIV disease. As the second-oldest AIDS service organization in the Philadelphia region, Bebashi was the first African American organization in the United States to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It remains one of Philadelphia’s largest community-based minority providers of HIV/AIDS education and services for the urban community.
Bebashi’s purpose is to empower people to enhance the quality of their health and overall well-being by providing access to culturally sensitive high-quality healthcare to economically challenged individuals and families. Since its inception in 1985, the organization has expanded to address other health disparities impacting the community. Bebashi’s services also include hunger relief, breast health education, primary medical care and criminal justice.
Media Contact:
Jude-Anne Spencer-Phillip
Communications Specialist
Bebashi – Transition to Hope
Phone: (215) 769-3561 ext. 159
Email: judeannesp@bebashi.org
