PiM x VEGI: Lunch Packing for the Oasis Center

Join Pride in Medicine (PiM) and the Vanderbilt Educational Garden Initiative (VEGI) for an interactive pack & learn exploring LGBTQ+ youth health disparities, food insecurity, and community-based public health interventions.   Queer youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness (National Network for Youth) and 77% more likely to experience food insecurity (The Trevor Project) than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. This event will provide students with an opportunity to discuss the social drivers of health that contribute to these disparities, examine the relationship between nutrition access and health outcomes, and learn how local organizations such as The Oasis Center address these challenges within the Nashville community.   As part of this community-engaged learning experience, participants will assemble lunch bags for youth visiting The Oasis Center while engaging in guided discussion surrounding public health, food access, and community care models. Using fresh local produce sourced by VEGI from our garden and CSA farm partners, attendees will prepare sandwiches and pack additional food items including fruit, chips, protein bars, and desserts.   Through this hands-on educational activity, students will gain exposure to topics including food insecurity, LGBTQ+ health inequities, and local community health initiatives while building interdisciplinary connections with peers interested in advocacy, medicine, nutrition, and public health.