The NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital Family Advisory Council’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Group (FAC DEI) has partnered with Social Work to create a new initiative - The Extra Mile Program (TEMP).
Over the past year, Kanisha Dolsingh, the FAC DEI group leader, secured generous donations from her employer, BlackRock. The donations are being used to fund TEMP in order to provide food vouchers and grocery gift cards to families in need. Using a two-item questionnaire as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Social Workers objectively identify families facing food insecurity. The food vouchers and/or grocery gift cards help pay for meals during a hospital stay or at home. The impact of TEMP will be measured via a brief survey designed to assess patients' impressions of the program.
By offering our families in need access to food, the FAC DEI hopes to improve their experience, reduce stress, and, ultimately, better serve the needs of our diverse community of families.