Northern Indiana VA’s Vitamin and Meals Service (N&FS) and Inexperienced Environmental Administration System groups have gained the 2022 “Vitamin and Meals Service Greening the VA Initiative.”
VA’s Sustainability Awards program has been offering recognition to VA amenities and staff for his or her important contributions to environmental sustainability since 2010.
In 2021, Northern Indiana VA launched the Vitamin and Meals Service Inexperienced Environmental Administration System (GEMS) Greening the VA Initiative. The purpose of the initiative is to proactively method and cut back a number of dangerous facets dealing with our surroundings and inhabitants.
Via the mixed efforts of N&FS, GEMS, management, the Heart for Improvement and Civic Engagement, and the neighborhood, they’ve achieved discount of meals waste and neighborhood starvation, and elevated garden-to-table produce manufacturing. They’ve additionally carried out new practices, similar to bio-digestion, composting and the offset of dangerous greenhouse gasses.
Discount of meals waste and neighborhood starvation
The meals pantry program has vastly impacted a neighborhood that has been hit onerous with monetary burdens attributable to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. N&FS has efficiently donated a complete 2,015 meals bins by way of the meals pantry.
“The whole worth of the bins distributed to our communities stands at $76,675.95 and continues to develop with every pantry occasion. We additionally donate what we are able to to our native mission, so the meals gained’t go to waste,” mentioned Lindsay Bartrom, chief of N&FS.
N&FS additionally makes use of a biodigester and compost to cut back VANIHCS’ carbon footprint and assist handle meals waste. “Our biodigester biologically digests natural materials, which then can go safely down the drain to divert waste from landfills”, mentioned Bartrom.
Backyard to desk
Along with the meals waste diversion, N&FS has helped create and broaden a facility backyard that gives garden-to-table diet to the Veterans dwelling within the long-term care models.
The backyard began in 2015 as a collateral obligation and has reworked into a necessary a part of the “Greening the VA Initiative” and the VANIHCS facility. VANIHCS even employs a fulltime gardener to keep up the backyard and greenhouse.
“We develop key lime, lemon, banana, mango, dragon fruit, ardour fruit, guava, cherries, pears, apples, peaches, figs, plums, pomegranate gooseberries, pumpkins, conventional greens, herbs and a lot extra”, mentioned Aaron Robinson, Therapeutic Backyard Program coordinator.
In 2020, N&FS began utilizing produce from the backyard for Veteran menus and providers.
Courses are very nicely obtained
“Meals from the backyard is used for our inpatient Veterans, meals pantries, and our Wholesome Instructing Kitchen and MOVE courses. We host giveaways for our Affected person Aligned Care Groups. We additionally adorn the power with flowers and pumpkins,” mentioned Nicholas Jones, Therapeutic Backyard Program coordinator.
N&FS additionally gives Wholesome Instructing Kitchen courses to Veterans, employees and guests. The courses educate nutritious recipes which can be designed to cut back the impression that meat consumption has on the atmosphere. The courses have been very nicely obtained and are available within the type of in-person occasions, and inventive movies with amenities leaders main the best way on wholesome consuming.
Gives to Veteran neighborhood nutritionally and financially
In all, N&FS has a complete of 5,549.95 lbs. of meals decreased on the supply within the type of donations to the neighborhood. Greater than 29,000 lbs. of meals have been composted to be used within the Backyard-to-Desk program and the overall for digestion of meals waste stands at 13,029 lbs.
“Profitable this award is simply one other instance of the “Tip of the Spear” method that the Northern Indiana VA workforce takes to offer, not solely state-of-the-art well being care however state-of-the-art useful resource administration. This collaboration was a chance to construct a program that gives again to our Veteran neighborhood each nutritionally and financially,” mentioned Anthony Colón, interim medical heart director.
