There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes in Nutrition Services, including valuable community service. For the last three years, dedicated employees have prepared and donated hundreds of meals to the Prescott Area Women’s Shelter, which provides emergency shelter, food, clothing and other services for homeless women and children in Yavapai County.
The Prescott Area Women’s Shelter, now known as Prescott Area Shelter Services (PASS), was founded in 2007 and has since then given several thousand homeless woman and children a safe place to stay, nourishing meals, and the resources needed to secure permanent housing. Twice a month, Nutrition Services prepares and packs a full meal for residents at PASS, which includes an entrée, side dish, and dessert. The meals are delivered by a volunteer and are greatly appreciated by all.
Ken Boush, Director, Marketing and Communications at YRMC, has helped his wife, Deborah, deliver some of those meals. “Deb looks forward to delivering meals twice monthly and I’ve helped her on a number of occasions. I’m always so impressed with the care that our team in Nutrition Services puts into preparing every meal. There is always an entrée, side dish, and dessert, and there is so much food that the folks at the shelter can often use it for two or three meals. The folks at the shelter really appreciate those meals and look forward to them. They are waiting at the door when Deb arrives, and Nutrition Services has never let them down.”
Jeanne Briggs, Director, Nutrition Services at YRMC, is happy to provide this service and also considers other ways to connect our community with wholesome meals. “We promote Prescott Meals on Wheels with tray cards on the breakfast trays we send up to patient rooms. This is an effort to educate our patients about the availability of wholesome meals when they leave the hospital. This could help them in their healing process and allow them to remain independent if shopping for food or meal preparation is an issue for them.” Nutrition Services also regularly provides meals to a number of patient-focused services in the Quad City area, as part of their mission to care for the community.
Jeanne summarizes, “Whether you live in Prescott, Chino Valley, Prescott Valley, or anywhere else in western Yavapai County, you are part of our community and we want to be there, if you need us.”