Cabrini Foundation Funds Nutritional Empowerment Program Through D’Youville Hub

Cabrini Foundation Funds Nutritional Empowerment Program Through D’Youville Hub

Buffalo, New York – February 23, 2021 – Thanks to a half-million dollar grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, D’Youville dietetics students, alongside registered dietitians, will help residents on Buffalo’s West Side make healthy choices through a nutritional empowerment program at the new Health Professions Hub.

The $500,000 grant will fund the Nutritional Empowerment through Teaching, Opportunity, and Sharing project in the Hub’s demonstration kitchen to help improve the health and well-being of community members. The project includes hands-on, interactive culinary classes, food demonstrations, and a medically tailored meal delivery program for patients in need. The grant also includes $166,000 in capital funds to help build and equip the demonstration kitchen.

“Recognizing the role of food and good nutrition in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease, the Nutritional Empowerment project should positively impact the health of people in our West Side neighborhood who live with conditions such as diabetes and hypertension,” says Megan Whelan, PhD, RDN, CDN, chair of the D’Youville’s Department of Nutrition and Dietetics. “The programs will be run by registered dietitians and provide training at the Hub for our nutrition and dietetics students.”

In addition, the grant will help support a Community Table program for five local food entrepreneurs to establish restaurants or food operations on the West Side and a farmer’s market featuring local items prepared in the demonstration kitchen.

“We are excited about what the new restaurants and farmer’s market can add to the already-vibrant West Side,” Whelan says.

The Hub, a 58,751 square foot, state-of-the-art education, training, and community health center, is currently under construction at the corner of Connecticut and West Avenues in Buffalo and slated to open in the spring. Along with the demonstration kitchen, the Hub will feature a community health center, pharmacy, health and wellness center featuring OT, PT, and chiropractic services, interprofessional education and simulation center, high-tech classrooms, meeting rooms, and open work spaces, and a state-of-the-art event center and community engagement space.

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission to improve the health and well-being of the vulnerable New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of targeted communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services.

Msgr. Gregory Mustaciuolo, chief executive officer of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, said, “As we set our sights on 2021, we must address the healthcare disparities related to race and income that have only been heightened since the onset of the pandemic. We honor the legacy of Mother Cabrini by funding activities, programs, and initiatives that help bridge gaps in health services, bolster the health outcomes of diverse communities, and eliminate barriers to care.”

The Foundation – which is named in memory of a tireless advocate for immigrants, children, and the poor – provides flexible support for new and innovative approaches that enhance health and wellness across New York State. For more information, visit www.cabrinihealth.org.