MADISONVILLE, Texas — Andi Hawthorne, the agency relations mobile pantry coordinator for the Brazos Valley Food Bank, met a client who decided to get a mammogram after speaking with healthcare professionals at the organization's mobile pantry in Madisonville two years ago.
That client found out she had breast cancer then. Now, she's cancer-free.
Hawthorne says if it wasn't for the organization's program, the client would have found out too late.
"Had she not been coming here and that medical provider not been talking with clients, she might not have found that out in time," Hawthorne said.
The organization is piloting a new program funded by Tito's Handmade Vodka to offer medical services at it mobile food pantry to address medical provider shortage in rural communities like Madison County.
CEO of Feeding Texas Celia Cole says Feeding Texas hopes to spread learning from the project to more food banks in rural areas across Texas.
"All these areas are classified as health professional shortage areas, which means it’s really hard for residents in these area to access these services," Cole said.
Healthcare professionals don't perform medical services on-site yet, but the organization is handing out fliers to get the word out about healthcare providers in the area and inviting professionals to talk with pantry clients.
Patty Herring who has been coming to the mobile pantry since 2016 says she has received some of the fliers and that although she doesn't need the help, she knows it can help others in the county.
"There are a lot people who are too young to get Medicare or Medicaid or don’t have a job," Herring said.
The organization would provide information for services like colon cancer screenings, mammograms and immunizations.
The organization hosted medical providers in the past but couldn't find any this month, but it's something Hawthorne hopes for in the future.
“They don't do it with them here, yet. That's what we're hoping for—that we'll actually have a mobile unit here," Hawthorne said.
In the meantime, the pantry will continue to provide foods like produce, breads and canned goods to residents like Herring.
"The checks aren't big enough and whatever I can get from here helps me out for the month," Herring said.
The pantry holds the mobile pantry every third Thursday of each month at the Madison County Fairgrounds.