THE PATTYCAKE FOUNDATION PARTNERS WITH EQUAL ACCESS RESEARCH TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY & PROMOTE NUTRITIONAL EATING

GAINESVILLE, FL., FEBRUARY 10TH, 2022 - Equal Access Research has entered into a strategic partnership with The PattyCake Foundation, a 501(c)3 focused on nutritional education, community service and youth collaboration, to provide access to health meals and nutritional education in the Central Florida Region. The program operates by teaching college students how to cook healthy meals through a series of in-person and zoom workshops.

Furthermore, the Foundation is currently seeking to expand activities to serve the Pre-Health population, such as by offering non-clinical volunteering opportunities serving pediatric and homeless populations and through a virtual pediatric healthcare provider speaker series. The Foundation also has begun working on collaborations with the Medicine in Nutrition Interest Group at the COM, and plans on hosting tours of the medical school with them this semester.

Founded in 2020 and named after Patricia “Patty” Diaz-Perez, who passed away after a battle with cancer in the summer of 2019 - The PattyCake Foundation has served meals for 4,000+ children & families in South Florida as well as raised $20,000. The partnership with Equal Access Research will accelerate the PattyCake Foundation’s ability to operate their model in the Central Florida Region. 

Led by Gabriel A. Perez, he hopes the program not only aids the community but also allow volunteers to learn more about healthy eating habits to incorporate into their own lives. “One of the most important experiences that unites us together across all walks of life is that we all know what it is like to have been kids. I believe that as adults we have a responsibility to act with compassion and solidarity towards the less fortunate members of the next generation, and strive to give our communities’ pediatric populations a better childhood and healthier lifestyle which they can carry with them into adulthood and beyond. That’s why with your help Gainesville, we at the PattyCake Foundation are dedicated to feeding North Central Florida one child at a time”

Equal Access will connect the organization with nutritionists and dietitians at UFHealth to collaborate on developing the health education/nutritional pamphlets. Furthermore, Equal Access Research can support the gradual implementation of a Pediatric Nutrition Night event at the Equal Access Pediatrics Clinic.

The PattyCake Foundation at Gainesville has been operational since Jan 2023 and membership is open to all residents in the Gainesville area.