Bloomfield College/Montclair State Nursing Students Help Guests of Toni’s Kitchen

When struggling neighbors come to Choice Pantry at Toni's Kitchen, we know they have other challenges to their health and well-being. The Resource Hub at Choice Pantry provides an opportunity to talk with guests about other health concerns and provide some additional education and connections.

Students from the Bloomfield College School of Nursing at Montclair State University completed health screenings for guests this Spring at Choice Pantry. Students in their senior year and their professors held a screening event at Choice Pantry on March 27 and April 10 for blood pressure and resting pulse. They also had educational materials about maintaining healthy blood pressure and avoiding hypertension that they were able to share with guests. The nursing students also talked with guests about exercise and diet as a way to stay healthy.

Nancy Xenakis, a Toni's Kitchen staff member who manages Choice Pantry's community-based partnerships, says that this event was mutually beneficial to guests and the students. "They were so excited to put the concepts they've learned into practice and see what it feels like to interact with the public," said Nancy. "Many of our guests approached the engaging table where the nursing students were welcoming and worked efficiently and guests could take delicious and Vitamin C rich clementines as well," continued Nancy.

During the debriefing one of the students shared, "This was such a great learning opportunity to interact with so many different types of people and to do so in my native language (Spanish) too."

About 50 guests were screened on March 27 and an additional 35 were screened on April 10. Guests whose readings were out of range were asked by the students if they were connected to primary health care. Guests who weren't connected to primary care had the opportunity to make connections to health care partners through Toni's Kitchen.

This program is expected to continue in the Fall once the MSU/Bloomfield College academic year begins again in September.

Programs like this one and others at Choice Pantry help guests of Toni's Kitchen lead more independent lives.