GSDM Collects 592 Food Items for BMC Food Pantry

Three DMD students at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) delivered 592 donated food items to the Boston Medical Center Preventive Food Pantry on Friday, March 4, 2016 on behalf of the students, residents, faculty and staff of GSDM. The food items were donated by members of the GSDM community during the School’s annual February Food Drive.

GSDM’s February Food Drive has been taking place annually since 2013. It is sponsored by GSDM’s chapter of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) in coordination with GSDM’s Office of Student Affairs. To read about the 2015 February Food Drive click here.

The 2016 February Food Drive took place from February 1-19, 2016. GSDM students, residents, faculty and staff—on both the Charles River Campus and the Medical Campus—donated nutritious items.

Just like in years previous, anyone who donated two or more food items to the food drive received a free ticket to watch the Boston University men’s ice hockey team play in a regular season game. A total of 220 tickets were provided by Agganis Arena and GSDM Student Affairs.

On Friday, March 4, 2016, three members of the ASDA Community Outreach Committee pushed a medical cart packed full of all the 592 donated food items over to the BMC Preventative Food Pantry with Dr. Joseph Calabrese, Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of General Dentistry, Assistant Dean of Students, and Director of Geriatric Dental Medicine; Ms. Erica Manczuk, Associate Director of Student Affairs; and Ms. Amy Nelson, Student Affairs Coordinator.

The three GSDM students were Megan McDougall DMD 17, Scott Jegard DMD 18, and Jayesh Patel DMD 18. McDougall also helped deliver the donated food to the BMC Preventative Food Pantry in 2015.

“The BMC food pantry is an incredible program and I always really enjoy delivering the food donations from GSDM,” said McDougall. “It brightens my day to know that these donations can make the lives of families in our community a little bit easier.”

Dr. Calabrese remarked, “The outpouring of support and donations that we received from the GSDM community during the February Food Drive was outstanding. The staff at the Pantry expressed sincere gratitude and appreciation when we dropped off the more than 592 donated food items.”

The BMC Preventative Food Pantry works to address nutrition-related illness and under-nutrition for low-income patients. Patients with special nutritional needs are referred to the pantry by BMC primary care providers who write prescriptions for supplemental foods that promote health, prevent future illness, and facilitate recovery.

The pantry is often used by patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, Irritable Bowel Disease, diabetes, obesity, food allergies, and other chronic conditions.

On average, the BMC Preventative Food Pantry collects approximately 48,000 pounds of food every month and provides meals to 7,000 people—or 2,000 households—every month.

“I am very pleased to hear that the GSDM community has rallied together again this year to donate nearly 600 food items to the BMC Preventative Food Pantry,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. “I would like to thank everyone who donated during the 2016 February Food Drive and also the students, residents, staff and faculty who helped coordinate this very successful drive.”