This post is by Kristen Helmsdoerfer, a Health Leadership Apprentice Program student and co-founder of Nourishment and Narratives With Neighbors (Tri-N).
Every month for the past year and a half, The University of Texas at Austin students, Dell Medical School staff and Community First! Village residents have come together for a chicken parmesan dinner and a night of story-sharing. The event is a collaboration between Dell Med and undergraduate Health Leadership Apprentice Program group Nourishment and Narratives With Neighbors.
However, considering the health of the residents and volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the group had to cancel the in-person dinners. In solidarity with the community and to keep emotionally connected during social distancing, our volunteers used creativity and innovation to continue to provide the neighbors with a monthly meal.
As an HLA student who previously taught volunteer nutrition classes at People’s Community Clinic, I was glad to search for cost-effective, healthy items to put into sack lunches: black or green beans, chicken, granola bars, oranges, trail mix and crackers.
Seventy-two bags were assembled and decorated with handmade drawings and jokes by health care workers and children in the community. Nick Christian, an internal medicine resident who lives at Community First! Village, picked them up in a parking lot to deliver to his neighbors. He said they were appreciative of the meals and the jokes brightened their day.
As one neighbor said, “I sure appreciate it. Looks like a good meal to me.” Someone else chimed in, “It’s not your awesome chicken parmesan, but it will do! Thank you!”
The cancellation of the dinners was especially devastating for the three members of the Tri-N leadership team, as they’re not sure whether they will see their friends at Community First! Village again before graduating or attending medical school. The bags were small, tangible tokens to show the neighbors they are missed but still in the group’s thoughts.
If you are a health care professional interested in speaking at a future event, want to attend the event as a guest or donate to the cause, email Nick Christian.