Etta Hanlon didn’t expect a class assignment to blossom into a lasting community partnership addressing food insecurity in Roanoke. But one home-visit story – a family receiving excellent health care but struggling to find consistent meals – shifted the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine student’s focus and set a new partnership in motion.

VTCSOM’s Boots on the Ground course gets first-year medical students out in the community to better understand Roanoke’s diverse needs. Its charge is straightforward: Identify a local need and design a way to meet it. As Hanlon and her classmates Blaire Barton and Colby Mallett began looking at hunger in the region, they saw an opportunity to make a tangible, ongoing difference.

“Blaire had volunteered on a home health visit with the Children’s Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) and noticed that while families received excellent health resources, there wasn’t consistent food support,” Hanlon said. “She recognized the gap and suggested we connect CHIP with Feeding Southwest Virginia.”

That observation became the foundation for a partnership between CHIP of Roanoke Valley and Feeding Southwest Virginia, the region’s largest hunger-relief organization. Together, they launched a pilot program that provides Healthy Choice Food Boxes to families during CHIP’s home visits. Filled with nutritious, shelf-stable foods, the boxes give families year-round access to food rather than seasonal or one-time assistance.

For Hanlon, sustainability was the priority from day one.

“Creating a sustainable partnership meant building something that would continue beyond the timeframe of a single school project,” she said. “Instead of organizing a one-time food delivery, we were committed to designing something that was consistent and could benefit families on an ongoing basis. We wanted it to be consistent and to create a structure that future classes could build on.”

Rachel Hopkins, CEO of CHIP of Roanoke Valley, said instability in SNAP benefits has made consistent food support even more critical. Many families run short on resources well before the end of the month, and the new partnership has helped close those gaps.

“Enrolled families are often at the point of having to choose between diapers and groceries. A timely food box delivery prevents families from having to make that impossible tradeoff,” Hopkins said. “Having those boxes reliably delivered — without delay or disruption — has made an immediate, tangible difference.” 

Kris Rau, assistant professor of basic science education at VTCSOM, said watching students work with CHIP has been both inspiring and energizing.

“These experiences give students firsthand insight into the social, economic, and environmental factors that shape health and also helps cultivate empathy, strong communication skills, and a deeper appreciation for the lived experiences of their future patients,” he said. “This commitment to community engagement reinforces VTCSOM’s mission as a community-focused, patient-centered institution and prepares our students to approach clinical care with humility, cultural sensitivity, and a genuine dedication to service.”

Their collaboration didn’t just strengthen local networks — it also drew national attention. Hanlon, Barton, and Mallett co-presented a poster on the project at the 2025 Engagement Scholarship Consortium International Conference, where it earned the Best Poster Award for demonstrating meaningful, reciprocal community impact.

“Projects like this reflect the heart of Virginia Tech’s land-grant mission,” said Susan E. Short, senior associate vice president for outreach and international affairs. “When students listen closely to communities, build relationships, and act with purpose, they embody Ut Prosim in a way that deepens learning and strengthens local families. This is exactly the kind of partnership we hope to inspire.” 

Even with strong partners, the team faced practical hurdles, including hauling boxes from Feeding Southwest Virginia’s distribution site each month. Hanlon credits committed volunteers and an engaged community for keeping the effort moving. Hopkins said the students brought an exceptional level of critical thinking, adaptability, and problem-solving to the design and execution of the delivery system. 

“Our team felt supported, and families felt seen. Their professionalism and empathy elevated the project in ways that went far beyond logistics,” she said.

Hanlon hopes more students pursue similar opportunities.

“Go volunteer at food banks, shelters, or local nonprofits, even if they seem unrelated to your professional goals,” she said. “If Blaire had never volunteered with CHIP, we never would have known about this need or been able to address it. Some of our best ideas come from working together.”

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