The Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce (CDCC) hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Westside Family Healthcare on October 14th, 2022, at 12 noon. The event was held at Westside Family Healthcare located at 1020 Forrest Ave., in Dover. Chamber members and friends joined the team of Westside Family Healthcare to celebrate the Grand Opening of their Community Refrigerator!  

            Westside Family Healthcare has partnered with Planting to Feed and Ubuntu Impact to launch a new community refrigerator at Westside that will create access to fresh, nutritious foods in low-income areas, serving both Westside patients and community members in need. Unlike traditional food pantries, this grassroots initiative encourages anyone to put food in and take food out without limit, is there for patients and community members, and accessible 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The goal is to create equitable access to healthy foods, particularly where healthy food is scarce. While community fridges are part of a national movement, this will be the first community fridge in Kent County!

            The Community Refrigerator at Westside is funded through the Neighbors Helping Neighbors program. This program pulls together all of Westside Family Healthcare initiatives that address the vital conditions that impact the health and wellbeing of their patients and surrounding neighbors. This program is primarily funded by corporate sponsorships, private foundations, and individual donations, and is to be used for supplies that address the social determinants of health, like hunger, safety and literacy.

             Westside’s sponsors for this project include: Bayhealth, Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, M&T Bank, WSFS, Highmark Health, Gallagher Benefit Services, LabCorp, Amerihealth Caritas Delaware, Incyte, Patterson Schwartz Foundation, New Castle County Office of the Executives, The Wawa Foundation, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, Walgreens, PEP Cleaning Service, Baird Mandalas Brockstedt Federico & Cardea, LLC, Del One Federal Credit Union, and Matthews Formal Wear Inc.

            “At Westside, advancing health equity to improve the health of our communities is integral to our work as a health center”, said Lolita Lopez, President and CEO at Westside Family Healthcare. “Food insecurity has been a widespread and longtime issue of poverty, and we believe that everyone deserves access to healthy food to live healthier lives.”

            “Focusing on food insecurity and the factors that contribute to illness, or the social determinants of health, has always been the mission of Community Health Centers like Westside. “We know that there’s a role for Westside to play increasing access to healthy foods and improving health outcomes in the neighborhoods we serve,” said Tom Stephens, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Westside Family Healthcare. 

            Westside is the largest community health system in the state with five health centers and a mobile health unit serving Delaware state-wide with family medical, dental, prenatal, and behavioral health care, regardless of ability to pay. Westside’s vision is to create health equity for all. As a community health center, Westside historically serves marginalized communities, and the Dover community showed a high need for affordable, culturally competent, integrated care. Westside Family Healthcare opened our Dover health center in 2011 for health services and expanded to offering dental services in 2014. 

            To learn more about Westside Family Healthcare and their new Community Refrigerator, stop by their office, visit them on the web at https://www.westsidehealth.org/ or give them a call at 302-678-4622. Please join the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce in congratulating the Dover Westside Family Healthcare team on the Grand Opening of their Community Refrigerator!