St. John’s Launches Mobile Food Pantry; Gears Up for More Pediatric Vaccines
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, May 19 2022
Contact: Cabot Petoia, clpetoia@gmail.com, 828-899-9239
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Los Angeles — Today, St. John’s Community Health announced they will kick off a monthly mobile food pantry on May 23 at their Avalon Blvd clinic.
The mobile pantry is being run in collaboration with Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, and will distribute 25-40 pounds of food per person – including fresh produce, canned meat, beans, soups, rice, pasta, and other perishable items – to hundreds of people for free every fourth Monday.
In addition to this new effort, St. John’s Community Health is continuing to provide up to 200 COVID-19 vaccinations per day. They’re also gearing up to begin providing booster shots for children aged 5-11 after recent authorization by the FDA, and plan to begin vaccinating children aged 6 months to 5 years in June.
This week, the public health network has given out around 4,000 at-home COVID-19 tests.
“Food security and access to nutritious food are major issues among the communities we serve – especially with the economic fallout fueled by the pandemic,” said Jim Mangia, president and CEO of St. John’s Community Health. “Health care must be approached holistically – it extends far beyond regular check ups and vaccines.”