By Taylor Naragon - Miami Valley Meals Blog

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Healthy food is an essential piece of the puzzle for everyone’s health, but it’s especially a focus for low-income patients who may be experiencing food insecurity. In the Dayton area alone, about 1 in 7 people struggle with food insecurity. When the budget is tight, families must make tough choices on what they purchase at the grocery store, and many rely on food pantries or distributions to keep food on the table for themselves and their families.

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Finding the right foods to manage and improve your health, along with finding the time to source and prepare them, is an added layer of difficulty, especially for those with physical disabilities, transportation barriers, or limited time.

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‍Miami Valley Meals is proud to partner with Five Rivers Health Centers (FRHC) to provide chef-prepared meals to patients facing hardship so that they can focus on what matters most: their health.

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Since 2011, FRHC has been providing primary and specialized care to patients in Dayton, Ohio, with a focus on serving low-income patients. I had the pleasure of visiting their Edgemont campus, which opened in 2022, and learning all about them earlier this year. This campus is one of eight locations serving Montgomery and Greene counties. In total, they provide care for 27,000 patients annually.

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I was guided through the facility by Shannon Circle, RD, LDN, Registered Dietitian. Shannon is one of two dieticians who serve patients at FRHC.

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We were first connected to Shannon in the fall of 2023 when a patient mentioned Miami Valley Meals during an appointment, and a fellow FRHC staff member helped make the connection to our staff. After a meeting with us, it became clear that our prepared meals would be a welcome addition to patient visits. She described it as “an answered prayer.”

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This connection came at the perfect time. In her time working one-on-one with patients to develop healthy eating habits, Shannon was inspired to go above and beyond to assist them with food. Many of her patients reported food insecurity as a major barrier to healthy eating, and she saw Miami Valley Meals as a perfect solution to helping patients meet their needs.

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Now, patients in need are provided with a supply of frozen prepared meals to take home after their appointment. Having extra meals on hand ensures that patients have enough for themselves and their families, and saves them time and energy on food prep. Because the meals are ready to heat and eat, this provides them a convenient, ‘homemade’ option that’s ready to go—no prepping or cooking required.

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Not only does FRHC provide MVM prepared meals to patients who need them, but they also give away ProducePerks coupons, help patients sign up for SNAP and navigate insurance, and host community giveaways, sharing food, diapers, and other essentials as often as they can. There are even fresh fruit baskets in the waiting areas in case patients need a snack during their visit.

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I was impressed by the facility as we continued our stops to the different departments. The FRHC Edgemont Campus is truly a one-stop shop for health unlike anything I’d seen before. Patients can access primary care, dental care, women's health, internal medicine, nutrition services, and more, all in one building. The space is comfortable and beautiful. The walls are decked with artwork from local artists, and waiting areas and hallways are full of helpful resources at every turn.

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During my visit, I was introduced to FRHC staff who work directly with patients and help connect them with resources like food assistance. They were happy to chat and said the patients love the meals. I began hearing stories of different patients from all walks of life who had benefited from these meals.‍

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Monica Watson, Community Health Worker, shared, “We had a homeless patient who walked in and had not eaten in days. I warmed up a MVM meal for him, and he said the food was awesome and had a good flavor. He said he didn't know doctors’ offices had meals like this. He started to cry and kept saying, ‘Thank you all for the meals.’” ‍

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Heather Bafs, RN, said, “One of my patients came into the office and was upset about his health issues and felt like no one was helping him. He faced many health challenges and many financial challenges, which created food security challenges. I was able to provide him with a big bag of meals and fruit, and he started crying. He was so grateful. He came into our building visibly upset and down on his luck, and left crying and thanking me for all the help. It changed his whole day around.”

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I could tell from my conversations with FRHC staff that they deeply care about their patients and go above and beyond to meet their needs, no matter how complex. Similar to MVM, they emphasize dignity and care for all, and it shows. ‍

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This partnership between MVM and FRHC has been so successful that it’s now expanding. We have worked together to increase donations of meals so that they can be shared with patients across two locations—the Edgemont campus and the Family Health Center in Northwest Dayton. Now, patients seen at both locations can receive meals.

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Shannon shared that this collaboration is “a huge blessing to not only the patients who we serve, but also to Five Rivers Health Centers staff who feel empowered to help give back to our patients and community.”

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Since first partnering in November 2023, Miami Valley Meals has provided 3,170 meals to support FRHC patients.

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