Sustenance and Wellness

You would expect a pantry to provide food and maybe a few other supplies, but would you anticipate free health screenings there as well?

Lakeland Pantry has provided food and other basic items to income-eligible members of our community for years, and they recently expanded to include on-site wellness services.

“The pantry is my passion,” states Lorna Springate, Lakeland Pantry director. “People need nutrition to stay healthy. They also need basic wellness screenings. We are so excited to bring these two services together for our participants!”

If a family can’t afford food, they sometimes forego medical checks because of the costs involved. Now, when these families come to get food, they can also get free basic wellness services. As we all know, early detection and management of their health needs can make all the difference.

“A Medical Mission at Home Health Committee involving pantry and hospital leadership was created to develop a plan for the health screenings and support services to fulfill our community health needs,” said Laurie Oungst, Chief Administrative Officer for Howard Young Medical Center. “The term “medical mission” often refers to volunteer caregivers who travel to other countries to provide medical services. The Lakeland Pantry Medical Mission at Home does the same thing for neighbors in need, right here in our own community.”

Now on two Tuesdays and one Thursday each month, pantry visitors can meet with medical professionals to get their blood pressure checked, have their glucose levels tested and have access to registered dieticians for nutrition guidance, all in a private room on-site. Individuals whose screening shows results out of the normal range will be connected to follow up care.They hope to add more services, like immunizations, in the future. It’s a convenient way for people who come to the pantry for food to get their basic wellness checked at the same time.

The pantry typically serves 1500 – 2000 individual people. About 40 percent of that number is children. This is a sizable group of people who now have ready access to free wellness checks by local medical professionals who volunteer their time at the pantry.

“We are so grateful for all the support we receive from Howard Young Medical Center, Ascension and local medical professionals who volunteer their time,” Lorna said. “Because of them, we were able to add an important service for our low-income community members.”

Eligibility for all pantry services is basedon income. The pantry is locatedat 1707 Highway 51 North in Abor Vitae.

HOW TO SUPPORT 

The pantry gets no government funding or subsidies and relies on donations. There are many ways that you can support the important work of LakelandPantry.

Make a financial donation any time during the year. Because the pantry staff can negotiate better prices on many foods than the average consumer, your gift goes even further than a direct donation of food.

Participate in the Bear Cupboard Run July 20, 2019,in Minocqua. This event includes a half marathon, 5K chip-timed runs, 5K walk and 1K Cubby run on the beautiful Bearskin Trail.

Later this year, buy tickets to Wine, Women andWinter, an evening of wine tasting, festive food, holiday entertainment and raffles.