Midwest Food Bank Morton is extending its service by applying the structure of a disaster relief box to a growing humanitarian need. Through a new partnership with OSF Healthcare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, Morton now provides about 80 food boxes each month to households experiencing financial strain while seeking medical care.
These boxes mirror the contents of a disaster relief box and include protein, vegetables, rice, beans, and breakfast staples such as oatmeal or cereal. They are distributed by OSF to households arriving for appointments or to households staying with a child receiving treatment.
In an interview with Peoria News 25, Dr. Monica Joseph Griffin, a pediatric specialist at OSF Healthcare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, shared why this support matters. She said, “When you look at food specifically, like when that impacts our body’s ability to heal, it impacts our ability to learn, and it affects our mental health, so we really need to work together with our families and understand these other factors that are contributing to their health so we can really create the best treatment plan.”
Midwest Food Bank is grateful to partner with a top-ranked healthcare provider that recognizes the connection between nourishment and wellbeing. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to meeting both clinical and nutritional needs with care, dignity, and compassion.
