Open Hand Atlanta Inc

WE COOK. WE DELIVER. WE TEACH. WE CARE.

OPEN HAND COMMUNITY NUTRITION PROGRAMS INCLUDE:A. IN 2022, OPEN HAND PROVIDED 1,272,398 HOME-DELIVERED MEALS AND MARKET BASKET GROCERY BAGS TO APPROXIMATELY 4,690 CLIENTS PER OUR CONTRACTS. OUR SERVICE AREA IN GEORGIA INCLUDES BARROW, BEN HILL, BERRIEN, BIBB, BRANTLEY, CANDLER, CHATHAM, CARROLL, CATOOSA, CHEROKEE, CLAYTON, COBB, COWETA, DEKALB, DOUGHERTY, DOUGLAS, FAYETTE, FORSYTH, FULTON, GWINNETT, HALL, HENRY, LUMPKIN, MADISON, MUSCOGEE, NEWTON, OGLETHORPE, PAULDING, POLK, RICHMOND, ROCKDALE, SEMINOLE, SPALDING, TIFT, TURNER, UPSON, WALTON, WASHINGTON, WHITFIELD, AND WORTH COUNTIES.B. THE MEDICALLY TAILORED MEALS PROGRAM PROVIDES FOR ONE, TWO, OR THREE FRESHLY COOKED DELICIOUS, THERAPEUTIC MEALS TO MEET THE DAILY NUTRITION NEEDS OF SOCIALLY AND/OR ECONOMICALLY VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DEALING WITH A CRITICAL, CHRONIC, OR TERMINAL DISEASE, MANY OF WHOM ARE UNABLE TO PREPARE OR SHOP FOR HEALTHY FOOD DUE TO PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS. OTHER QUALIFYING INDIVIDUALS MAY INCLUDE DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF OPEN HAND CLIENTS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR HEALTH STATUS. AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THIS MEALS PROGRAM, NUTRITION EDUCATION IS DELIVERED ON A REGULAR BASIS IN GROUP CLINICAL SETTINGS AS WELL AS VIRTUALLY THROUGH OUR TELENUTRITION PLATFORM. MENUS ARE DEVELOPED AND PRODUCTS ARE SELECTED BY OPEN HAND'S RDNS AND INCLUDE THERAPEUTIC AND PREFERENTIAL MENU OPTIONS. EACH OF OPEN HAND'S MENUS ARE NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED WHICH ALLOWS CLIENTS TO CUSTOMIZE THEIR MENU TO THEIR DIETARY PREFERENCES WHILE ADHERING TO THE DIET RECOMMENDATIONS BY THEIR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.C. OPEN HAND'S MARKET BASKET PROGRAM PROVIDES A WEEKLY SUPPLY OF BOTH NONPERISHABLE GROCERIES AND FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES TO SOCIALLY AND/OR ECONOMICALLY VULNERABLE CLIENTS WHO ARE WELL ENOUGH TO PREPARE THEIR OWN HEALTHY MEALS WITH NUTRITION GUIDANCE PROVIDED BY OPEN HAND RDNS. THESE GROCERY PRODUCTS PROVIDE THE INGREDIENTS FOR 14 MEALS EACH WEEK AND INCLUDE RECIPES AND NUTRITION EDUCATION SO CLIENTS HAVE THE ABILITY TO CREATE THEIR OWN HEALTHY MEALS.D. IN ADDITION, OPEN HAND PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY 90,314 EMERGENCY NUTRITION SUPPLEMENTS (ENS) IN THE FORM OF EMERGENCY MEALS, SNACKS, AND NUTRITION SUPPLEMENTS, TO SOCIALLY AND/OR ECONOMICALLY VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS, OFTEN DURING EXTENDED WAITS FOR THEIR HEALTH CARE APPOINTMENTS. THE SUPPLEMENTS HELP TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE NUTRITION TO CLIENTS WHO MAY BE EXPERIENCING WEIGHT LOSS OR CHEWING/SWALLOWING CHALLENGES.E. CENTRAL TO OPEN HAND'S COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO NUTRITION, CLIENTS ARE ASSESSED THROUGH A CLIENT INTAKE PROCESS AND OFFERED NUTRITION EDUCATION BY OPEN HAND RDNS WHICH INCLUDES EVIDENCE-BASED EDUCATION IN A GROUP SETTING. IN 2022, OPEN HAND ATLANTA BECAME ACCREDITED IN THE DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BY THE ASSOCIATION OF DIABETES CARE AND EDUCATION SPECIALISTS TO PROVIDE DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT EDUCATION (DSME) TO CLIENTS FOR WHICH OPEN HAND WAS ABLE TO BILL THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES (CMS) FOR THESE SERVICES. THUS IN 2022, WE PROVIDED BOTH DSME AND CHRONIC DISEASE SELF-MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS FOR 35 CLIENTS. THESE PROGRAMS TEACH INDIVIDUALS THE TOOLS NEEDED TO BECOME EFFECTIVE SELF-MANAGERS IN THEIR HEALTHCARE. THEY LEARN TOOLS SUCH AS HEALTHY EATING, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, HOW TO USE THE MIND, STRESS MANAGEMENT, AND POSITIVE COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES. THE RDNS ALSO PROVIDE FOOD DEMONSTRATIONS AND NUTRITION SEMINARS FOR A VARIETY OF CLIENT GROUPS ACROSS ATLANTA. F. OPEN HAND PROVIDED MEDICAL NUTRITIONAL THERAPY (MNT) TO 385 CLIENTS IN 2022, THROUGH BOTH IN-PERSON CARE AND OUR VIRTUAL NUTRITION CARE PLATFORM, HEALTHIE. MNT IS PRESCRIBED BY A CLINICIAN TO TARGET SPECIFIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS. SESSIONS INCLUDE A NUTRITION DIAGNOSIS, THERAPY, AND COUNSELING SERVICES - ALL PERFORMED BY OPEN HAND RDNS. DEFINED BY THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS, MNT INCLUDES A SPECIFIC PLAN OF ASSESSMENT, NUTRITION DIAGNOSES, INTERVENTION, EVALUATION/MONITORING, DOCUMENTATION, AND COMMUNICATION WITH CLIENTS' HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THIS SERVICE IS AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A NUTRITION-SENSITIVE CHRONIC DISEASE TO HELP IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH THROUGH BETTER FOOD CHOICES AND BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. G. OPEN HAND IS ONE OF GEORGIA'S PARTNERS FOR THE NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED COOKING MATTERS NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM - SIX WEEKS OF CLASSES UTILIZING AN EVIDENCE-BASED CURRICULUM ORIGINALLY DESIGNED BY SHARE OUR STRENGTH. IN 2022, THE OPEN HAND COOKING MATTERS TEAM TAUGHT 638 PARTICIPANTS HOW TO PREPARE HEALTHY, TASTY MEALS ON A LIMITED BUDGET, OFFERING PRACTICAL, HANDS-ON INSTRUCTION FOR ECONOMICALLY VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES SUCH AS MEAL PREPARATION, GROCERY SHOPPING, FOOD BUDGETING THAT EMPOWERS PARTICIPANTS TO MAKE HEALTHIER CHOICES, EVEN WITH VERY LIMITED RESOURCES. COOKING MATTERS HELPS OPEN HAND ADDRESS THE CO-OCCURRING ISSUES OF FOOD INSECURITY, OBESITY, AND RELATED NUTRITION-SENSITIVE DISEASE CONDITIONS, WHICH ARE OFTEN MORE COMMON AMONG AT-RISK, DISADVANTAGED CLIENT GROUPS.

OPEN HAND'S SENIOR NUTRITION PROGRAM PROVIDES ONE OR TWO FRESHLY COOKED HEALTH-PROMOTING MEALS TO MEET THE DAILY NUTRITION NEEDS OF HOMEBOUND OLDER ADULT CLIENTS AND OLDER ADULTS IN CONGREGATE SETTINGS. IN 2022, OPEN HAND PREPARED AND DELIVERED APPROXIMATELY 92,051 TOTAL MEALS TO OLDER ADULT CLIENTS IN LOCAL COUNTY SENIOR CENTERS. ADDITIONALLY, OPEN HAND PROVIDED NUTRITION EDUCATION AND WELLNESS COACHING TO APPROXIMATELY 1,552 OLDER ADULTS IN GROUP SESSIONS CONDUCTED IN LOCAL SENIOR CENTERS AND OLDER ADULT HIGH-RISE COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING NUTRITION SERVICES IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA OPEN HAND EXPANDED THIS NUTRITION PROGRAM ACROSS THE STATE OF GEORGIA THROUGH A PILOT PROGRAM CALLED GRITS - GEORGIANS RECEIVING INSIGHTFUL TELENUTRITION SEMINARS. THE OPEN HAND RDNS PROVIDE NUTRITION EDUCATION ON A VIRTUAL PLATFORM TO OLDER ADULTS ATTENDING THEIR LOCAL SENIOR CENTERS, PLACES OF WORSHIP, OR IN THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOMES. IN 2022, WE PROVIDED THIS SERVICE TO 2,337 OLDER ADULTS FOR GROUP NUTRITION EDUCATION AND 83 OLDER ADULTS FOR MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY.

GOOD MEASURE MEALS (GMM), OPEN HAND'S FEE-FOR-SERVICE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, OFFERS NUTRITIOUS, HIGH QUALITY MEAL PLANS TO PEOPLE WHO WISH TO MANAGE CHRONIC ILLNESSES SUCH AS DIABETES, HYPERTENSION OR OBESITY, AND PEOPLE TRYING TO IMPROVE OR MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE THROUGH BETTER NUTRITION. THIS PROGRAM EXTENDS OPEN HAND'S MISSION ACROSS THE FULL SOCIO-ECONOMIC SPECTRUM, MAKING AN EVEN GREATER IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY. IN 2022, OPEN HAND'S GMM SERVED 703 CLIENTS A TOTAL OF 70,154 HEALTHY MEALS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. GOOD MEASURE MEALS ALSO PROVIDES CORPORATE WELLNESS TO CUSTOMERS ACROSS ATLANTA - IN 2022, THE RDNS PROVIDED 22 NUTRITION PROGRAMS AND 36 NUTRITION CONSULTATIONS EXPANDING VIRTUAL NUTRITION CARE TO THESE CUSTOMERS.

IN 2022, OPEN HAND LAUNCHED A GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS (GDM) PILOT PROGRAM WHICH PROVIDED 12 WEEKS OF DIABETES-FRIENDLY MEALS AND VIRTUAL NUTRITION EDUCATION TO PREGNANT WOMEN RECENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH GDM. PARTICIPANTS WERE ALSO PROVIDED SUPPORT BY HAVING ACCESS TO AN OPEN HAND RDN AND OTHER WOMEN EXPERIENCING GDM. THIS RESEARCH PILOT PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY 2023 WITH HOPEFUL PUBLICATION OF THE PROGRAM RESULTS IN 2024.