Dartmouth Cancer Center celebrates expansion of food pantry, funded by philanthropy

Dartmouth Cancer Center celebrated the expansion of its Healing Harvest Food Pantry at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center on Thursday, February 6. Increasing the food pantry’s capabilities aligns with the Cancer Center’s ongoing commitment to provide whole person care to patients and their care partners. 

The food pantry was established in 2022 when Continuing Care Manager Catherine M. Reed, MSW, realized that food insecurity was a serious issue among her cancer patients. From an initial pilot program providing 150 patients a week's worth of groceries tailored to their dietary needs every two weeks, the pantry, which rebranded to Healing Harvest last year, expanded to serve all 2,000 cancer patients in need with greater quantities and variety of foods available. Many items, including fresh bread, produce and dairy, are sourced from local vendors in New Hampshire and Vermont.

“Proper nutrition is crucial for healing and recovery. Because cancer treatment is challenging enough without the added stress of wondering where your next meal will come from,” said Steven D. Leach, MD, director of Dartmouth Cancer Center. “By addressing food insecurity, we’re not just feeding people; we’re supporting their treatment and improving their chances of recovery.”

The expansion of Healing Harvest was funded by The Prouty, and many generous donors.

“As we open this new space, it’s truly amazing to see what we can achieve when we come together as a community to help our community,” said Deborah F. Scribner, vice president of oncology services at Dartmouth Cancer Center. “It’s a reminder that small acts of kindness, like offering a bag of groceries, can make a world of difference to someone facing cancer. It shows that treatment involves more than medical interventions to ensure our patients’ wellbeing.”