Ascension St. Vincent’s nurse starts a food pantry after her experience with food insecurity

A brush with food insecurity early in Tabitha Kinney’s life motivated her to start a food pantry program atAscension St. Vincent’s St. Johns County in St. Johns, Florida, that is helping those facing similar hardships in her community.

Tabitha, a nurse manager at St. Vincent’s St. Johns County, said the struggles she and her husband faced with food insecurity decades ago left a lasting impression.

“My husband and I started very young and didn’t have much,” she recalled. “We could have leaned on our families more, but we made it work. We made a $1 stretch, which sometimes meant compromising on healthy food options for our small family. I’ve never forgotten what that’s like.”

The idea to establish a food pantry program began to take hold after participating in the Roots of Ministry Leadership formation program, designed to educate associates on the Mission and vision of St. Vincent’s founders. As she learned more about St. Vincent’s 100-year commitment to community service, Tabitha felt she was called to make a difference.

“I kept waiting for someone else to do it, but I finally realized, ‘Why not me?’,” Tabitha said. 

Tabitha's realization that she could be an agent for change led her to create the program a year ago. She credits associates and community partner Feeding Northeast Florida for contributing non-perishable items and other essentials that keep shelves stocked and ready to assist those in need. She also works with the dietary team to create balanced meal kits that “fly off the shelves.”

Health questionnaires help nurses and case managers identify patients in need. “We hand out food liberally to patients and their families and send them home with care packages,” Tabitha said.

Shortly after the food pantry opened, an associate shared with Tabitha that she was unable to afford nutritious food for her child. This encounter reinforced the need for this initiative in the community. "No one should go without the means to feed their family," she said.

Tabitha is currently networking with food pantry organizations in the area to increase supplies and donations from other community members to grow the St.Vincent’s food pantry.