‘A Beautiful Sight’ as Community Donates 3,000 Pounds of Food for Healthier Women and Babies

The day-long community food drive at Cone Health MedCenter for Women supports the Brito Food Program.

Car after car delivered thousands of pounds of food, baby supplies and hygiene products to Cone Health MedCenter for Women on Monday. The outpouring of support was part of a day-long community food drive to provide food security to local women and children.

Altogether, dozens of community members and organizations donated 3,222 pounds of food and more than $2,800 to the new Dr. Miguel and Denese Brito Nutrition and Education Center at Cone Health MedCenter for Women. The medical food market provides healthy food, shows women how to make better food choices and connects them with community resources.

“I’m in awe,” said Denese Brito, who along with her husband Dr. Miguel Brito, donated the center, which opened in October, to Cone Health MedCenter for Women. “It is so inspiring to see the community come together.”

The medical food market provides healthy and nutritious food to women and their families experiencing food insecurity, hardship or chronic disease. As part of the Brito Food Program, referred patients can visit the center to receive bags of food tailored to their specific medical need, as well as resources like nutrition and wellness education, wellness coaching and more. Monday’s food drive showed the community is ready to support the center’s cause. 

“We are thrilled with Greensboro's support for the center,” said Dr. Miguel Brito. “It has been beyond our expectations, and we can only take this as a springboard to greater success from here on.” 

The Brito Nutrition and Education Center is housed within Cone Health MedCenter for Women at 930 Third Street in Greensboro. Along with food services, the 30,000-square-foot MedCenter offers gynecological and obstetric services. These include high-risk maternal care, prenatal and gynecology care, physical therapy and more. The Brito Food Program was a key aspect of the vision for MedCenter for Women. Seeing them work so well together during Monday’s event filled leaders and volunteers with pride.

“When you start with an idea and then to see it manifest and realize that we can actually meet the food needs of the community, pregnant women and babies, it makes me emotional,” said Walidah Karim-Rhoades, executive director of Cone Health MedCenter for Women. “It’s a dream come true, and it’s just the start of other things that will address the needs of local families.”

Monday’s event showed just a glimpse of the impact the MedCenter and Brito Food Program can make when backed by the community. Organizers hope this is just the beginning.

“It’s really a beautiful sight to see how people in our community really do care,” said Jamilla Pinder, Cone Health’s assistant director of healthy communities. “But, it’s not a one-and-done. Whether it’s through volunteering, donating food or providing other services, we need the community’s continued support to provide relief and security to local women and children.”