HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center provided sponsorship to Wello in support of their Farm to School initiative. The program is an established, non-profit organization whose vision is to make the Greater Green Bay community the healthiest in the nation. Through Farm to School, Wello focuses on supporting the community in eating better, moving more and building social and community connections to improve overall health and well-being.
The program works with food service departments for local schools to aid in purchasing locally sourced, nutrient-dense meals for students. Examples of school-based partnerships included planting fruit trees at three elementary schools, collecting maple syrup and purchasing a tabletop growing system for a local middle school. To encourage the use of local produce throughout the winter months, kitchen equipment like dehydrators and vacuum sealers were purchased.
The sponsorship provided directly aligns with the hospitals’ and Brown County’s objectives around addressing obesity, which is a top 3 health need in the Community Health Needs Assessment.