Every 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month the hallway of the Coastal Bend Food Bank is lined up with clients for the Diabetes Food Pantry. The food pantry serves clients from the 11-county service area who have diabetes. Every client is required to attend a 30-minute class on various topics from medication management to nutritional health. On this day clients gathered in the Coastal Bend Food Bank Community Kitchen for a food demonstration on how to cook healthy on a budget taught by Dietician Kate Hilliard. Clients learned how to make a deconstructed cabbage casserole made with rice, lentils, cabbage and turkey sausage along with peanut butter and jelly granola bars from the book Eat Well on $4 a day Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown.
Once the class is completed each client is given the opportunity to receive up to 3 bags of fresh produce, heart healthy protein meats such as lean turkey meat, lean ground meat, or fish along with low sodium canned vegetables, light syrup canned fruit, high fiber beans, canned tuna, whole grain brown rice and other heart healthy foods that are available. Clients A1C levels are also checked and are counseled if needed by the Diabetes Education Certified Registered Nurse and Dietician.
Many of the clients who utilize the Diabetes Pantry have also attended the free 8 weeks series Diabetes Hands on Self-Management Program offered through the Coastal Bend Food Bank. Susie a food pantry client is also an alumnus of the class and is a diabetes fighter who has been living with diabetes for 29 years. Susie has survived two open heart surgeries and has battled depression due to her diabetes. She says “if it wasn’t for the Diabetes Hands On Classes I’d give up. When I go to my doctors, they always scold me but the girls with the Diabetes Team always give me encouragement.” The classes for her have been a great help in her motivation to eat healthy and take control of her diabetes to continue living a healthy life. Susie lives on a strict budget and the extra help she gets from the Diabetes Food Pantry allows her to eat healthier with more fresh produce and less processed foods.
The Diabetes Food Pantry is held the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month with a 30 minute class. For more information contact the Diabetes Hands on Team at 361-887-7979.
Class Times:
9:30 – 10:00am or 10:30 – 11:00am
Qualifications
- Diabetes medication (pills or insulin) with your name
- Prescription for diabetes medication
- Lab work with an A1c
- Hospital discharge documentation
Please bring in an ID
Diagnosis of pre-diabetes will not be enrolled
For more information about the Diabetes Hands On Self-Management Classes please visit Diabetes Hands On Classes
