According to Community Health Manager, Julie Robertson-Brooks, who oversees the Bread Basket program at both ministries, the initiative has seen growth since its inaugural year. “We're gaining a lot of momentum this year,” said Robertson-Brooks. “Our first year was more about educating staff and letting people know that this program existed. In the last three or four months, it has really picked up, to the point that we are ordering more food, and it’s going out the door a little quicker.”
To address food insecurities beyond the ministries’ walls, SSM Health in Southern Illinois supports mobile markets in Centralia, Mount Vernon, and Salem, each of which serve hundreds of community members every month. “We help each mobile market differently,” explained Robertson-Brooks. “With Salem and Mt. Vernon, we curate the boxes of produce, meats, and other items from the local wholesale produce vendor. We purchase 225 boxes per market, and we offer those once a month. So, we are serving 225 community members a month in those two communities.”
To address food insecurities beyond the ministries’ walls, SSM Health in Southern Illinois supports mobile markets in Centralia, Mount Vernon, and Salem, each of which serve hundreds of community members every month. “We help each mobile market differently,” explained Robertson-Brooks. “With Salem and Mt. Vernon, we curate the boxes of produce, meats, and other items from the local wholesale produce vendor. We purchase 225 boxes per market, and we offer those once a month. So, we are serving 225 community members a month in those two communities.”
For the Centralia mobile market, which is receives its food donations from the St. Louis Food Bank, Robertson-Brooks and her team help identify and supplement food items not immediately present in the monthly donations. “We have identified some areas of opportunity from what we receive, and there are things we could provide to create a more well-rounded nutritious option,” said Robertson-Brooks. “Dairy and protein sources are oftentimes lacking in these donations, so we have partnered with Prairie Farms to provide gallons of milk for the Centralia markets.”
Mission Centralia, United Way of South Central Illinois, and the University of Illinois Extension assist SSM Health in Southern Illinois with the promotion, coordination, and volunteer staffing of the mobile markets. Still, Robertson-Brooks insisted new volunteers are needed and welcome. “There are opportunities outside of the community health staff to be a part of this. It takes a village for sure,” said Robertson-Brooks. “A lot of the things we do rely on volunteers and individuals that are willing to get out in the community and serve their neighbor.”
Those wishing to volunteer at the mobile markets may contact Robertson-Brooks via email at Julie.Robertson-Brooks@ssmhealth.com or by phone at 618-967-5332.
Programs like the Bread Basket and contributions to the mobile markets are part of SSM Health in Southern Illinois’s Community Health Improvement Plan, which is informed by the results of the Community Health Needs Assessment, taken by SSM Health every three years.
