ProMedica to address hunger with $1.5M market, community hub

Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica Health System has received a $1.5 million donation from philanthropist Russell Ebeid to build a full-service market and community center in central Toledo.

The ProMedica Ebeid Institute for Population Health will include a food market, kitchens and education workstations for nutrition classes, and basic health screenings.

ProMedica anticipates having other services offered at the four-story facility via partnerships, including mental health counseling, job training, dental care and literacy education, among other services.  

This is the latest anti-hunger initiative by the health system, which has taken to the national stage to encourage other health systems to take on hunger as part of their population health efforts.

"The goal of the Ebeid Institute is to improve the health and well-being of our community by engaging local, regional and national organizations to address social determinants of health with an intense focus on hunger and nutrition," said Randy Oostra, ProMedica president and CEO. "It will also promote a sense of personal responsibility for one’s health through increased access to resources such as nutrition education and job training."

The location for the Ebeid Institute was determined through consultation with Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group, which conducted a block-level study of food access and health outcomes to identify the most under-served areas in Toledo.  

In Ohio, more than 1 in 4 children live in food insecure households, and in Toledo Public Schools, the number of children eligible for free and reduced breakfast and lunch is nearly 80 percent with some schools as high as 98 percent, according to the health system.