Dartmouth Cancer Center Bennington, located on the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) main campus, launched a new program this month to support patients experiencing food insecurity.
Healing Harvest is a food pantry program that started at Dartmouth Cancer Center at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, in 2022. The program was launched after staff began noticing many patients struggling with food insecurity. The expansion of Healing Harvest to Dartmouth Cancer Center Bennington, started on December 15.
“This represents a huge step towards our goal of offering Healing Harvest services to food insecure patients at every Dartmouth Cancer Center location,” said Julia Boger Hawkins, program manager of Healing Harvest.
“There are many reasons patients may require assistance through Healing Harvest, including the financial impact of cancer, transportation issues, and the physical effort that it takes to go grocery shopping while under treatment for cancer. The program ensures access to healthy foods for all cancer patients.”
The launch of Healing Harvest in Bennington was supported by donations to the SVRCC Patient Resource Fund, through the Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) Foundation.
“While we support our patients through treatment, we don’t want their healing impacted by lack of access to basic needs,” said Caryn Packard, administrative director of Dartmouth Cancer Center Bennington. “Bringing Healing Harvest locally is another way we can provide wraparound support for our patients and their families.”
For information on supporting Healing Harvest in Bennington, please contact the SVHC Foundation at 802-447-5017.
About Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
For more than a century, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) has delivered world-class care and comfort to every patient. Today, SVMC encompasses eight locations across Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts, including a 99-bed hospital and 23 primary and specialty care services. SVMC’s exceptional health teams possess expertise in everything from oncology to orthopedics. Our clinical strength has earned national attention, including six consecutive designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program. Since joining Dartmouth Health in 2023, SVMC has expanded treatment options and services to keep patients closer to home for world-class care. As the largest employer in southwestern Vermont, SVMC is deeply invested in the region, engaging with the community through wellness initiatives, support of local nonprofit organizations and involvement in economic development. SVMC has robust volunteer leadership, at many levels, that help guide and govern the organization, ensuring SVMC continues to serve the patient and staff needs of today, and tomorrow.