Sickle Cell Awareness at God’s Love We Deliver

In recognition of National Sickle Cell Awareness Month this past September, the Business Development and Community Partnerships team at God’s Love We Deliver hosted an important webinar to raise awareness about the nutrition challenges faced by individuals with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). The event highlighted the latest in nutrition concerns for those with SCD, the services provided by God’s Love We Deliver, and the program’s impact to date.  

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) affects between 90,000 and 100,000 people in the U.S., occurring in approximately 1 in every 500 Black or African American births and 1 in every 16,300 Hispanic American births. In New York State alone, roughly 10% of the national SCD population resides, with 80% of the estimated 8,374 individuals diagnosed living in New York City. 

As the leading provider of medically tailored meals in the NY-Metro area, God’s Love We Deliver is dedicated to meeting the evolving medical needs of our communities. In March 2024, the organization expanded eligibility criteria to include Sickle Cell Disease as a qualifying diagnosis, ensuring that impacted individuals in New York City are supported.

Since then, we’ve delivered nearly 2,000 medically tailored meals to individuals and families affected by SCD, with more than half of our clients being children. 

Sickle Cell Disease not only presents many medical complications but also significant nutrition-related challenges, such as: 

• Inadequate calorie and protein intake 

• Nutrient deficiencies 

• Dehydration 

• Medication side effects 

• Stunted growth and development in children 

Want to learn more? Watch the recording of the webinar to explore how nutrition status can be impacted by SCD and how our work at God’s Love We Deliver is impacting the lives of those diagnosed with SCD. 

For any requests for presentations or additional information, please reach out to outreach@glwd.org.