Winston-Salem, North Carolina is home to more than 60,000 food insecure residents and 21 food deserts (a community where residents have limited access to affordable and nutritious food), according to the City of Winston-Salem.
To address these needs and work toward creating a long-term, sustainable solution for food insecurity in in the city, Ulysis Baal and Yaffa Ali – both fourth-year medical students – created RxPurpose. This food recovery initiative distributes Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s excess and unprepared hospital food to The Salvation Army Center of Hope Family Shelter which provides hot meals for 50+ shelter guests each week.
The Center of Hope is the only family emergency shelter in Forsyth County and provides a safe refuge and resources to families and individuals who are looking for a new start and return to permanent housing and stability. The Center of Hope provides shelter to single mothers, single fathers and parents with children.
“For me, this project is a tribute to my father’s legacy – he had a dedication to serving marginalized communities and ensuring they have access to basic needs,” said Ali. “It represents a continuation of his work but also a chance to create lasting change that transcends individual efforts. Working with food banks and refugee communities in Greensboro has shown me firsthand how vital community support is and this project is an extension of that belief.”
RxPurpose is made possible by an IDEA Grant, which was an initiative The Undergraduate Medical Education program spearheaded. The program invited medical students to participate in student-led projects focused on community engagement. Primary objectives were to promote community trust, facilitate learning and foster conversations with the local community. The call for proposals aimed to emphasize the importance of building a strong and sustainable connection between the MD program and the surrounding communities. Ten proposals were funded up to $1,000.
