Saint Francis Announces Grant to Help Tenderloin Residents Learn Healthy Food Choices

Dignity Health Saint Francis Memorial Hospital has awarded $103,322 to the Green Mobile Kitchen Health Education Project through its annual Community Grants program. This is the second year the project has received a grant, further aiding its efforts to promote healthy living among some of the most vulnerable residents of the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco.

The Green Mobile Kitchen Health Education Project addresses health needs by teaching skills to prevent obesity, diabetes, and other health problems to Tenderloin residents — a vast majority of whom lack access to affordable, fresh, and healthy food.

"With the worsening obesity epidemic, particularly among low-income urban residents, prioritizing access to healthy and affordable food has moved to the forefront," said Abbie Yant, vice president of mission, advocacy and community health at Saint Francis. "We applaud and support the efforts of the Green Mobile Kitchen Health Education Project as they empower people to take better care of themselves and their families by making healthy food choices."

The Green Mobile Kitchen Health Education Project is a joint venture of From the Garden to the Table and San Francisco Recovery Theatre. From the Garden to the Table is a health education organization that teaches low-income youth and their communities to improve their health through better food options. San Francisco Recovery Theatre helps residents of the Tenderloin neighborhood who are battling substance abuse, mental health, or housing problems work through their challenges using positive theater experiences. Together, the organizations bring a series of demonstrations, classes, and theater experiences directly to residents to help shift health outcomes in a positive direction.

The project is part of the Tenderloin Health Improvement Partnership, an initiative of Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and the Saint Francis Foundation, which helps nonprofits, businesses, government agencies, and funders within the Tenderloin neighborhood work together in more coordinated ways for a greater collective impact.

About Saint Francis Memorial Hospital

Dignity Health Saint Francis Memorial Hospital is an accredited, not-for-profit community hospital that has been providing exceptional healthcare in San Francisco for more than 100 years. Located atop Nob Hill, near downtown San Francisco, Saint Francis is home to the Bothin Burn Center, the largest in Northern California, the Center for Sports Medicine, and the Saint Francis Orthopedic Institute. With its close proximity to downtown San Francisco, Saint Francis also specializes in Occupational Health and Emergency Medicine. Saint Francis has been designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine and Hip/Knee Replacement Surgery and is a Certified Stroke Center by the Joint Commission.