CCHS dietary services is a vital community lifeline.

DAYTON - The Touchet Valley Café at Dayton General Hospital once served staff, visitors, local students, and the public. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the café has been closed to the public.

In a recent letter to the editor in The Dayton Chronicle, a community member questioned why the beloved café remains closed. The writer reminisced about meals at the café, and particularly the clam chowder on Fridays. They wrote that reopening the café could benefit the hospital district financially and socially.

The letter mentioned services the café had provided, including catering community events that facilitated community engagement. The letter urged the Columbia County Health System Board of Commissioners, CEO, and staff to consider reopening the café to the public, highlighting how it once served as an affordable lunch option for Dayton High School students.

In a press release, officials from CCHS acknowledged the café's value to the community and expressed their desire to reopen it. However, they cited significant challenges that have prevented this from happening.

"We appreciate the value the café presents for the community and reopening remains one of our goals as a community hub," said the official response. "The challenges continue to be space and staffing."

CCHS detailed the current strain on hospital resources, with increases in meal production.

The dietary services department now provides:

• 250 meals per week to the Senior Center, twice the pre-COVID number

• 280 meals per week for 22 children at RoseMary's Place childcare

• 210-280 meals per week for 30-40 children through a library-based summer meal program

• 735 meals per week to Rivers Walk residents, twice the number of meals since moving to the Assisted Living model of long-term care

• Increased meal services due to a higher hospital census

• Meals for 276 employees, an increase from188 in 2019.

Given these demands, the hospital has prioritized resources to ensure meals are provided to those with the highest need and vulnerability, including patients, Rivers Walk residents, children in childcare, community programs, the Senior Center, and employees.

"We are focusing our available resources on the areas with the highest impact for the community," the response stated.

The closure of the Touchet Valley Café to the public reflects the broader staffing and resource challenges faced by many local businesses and institutions. Despite these difficulties, Dayton General Hospital continues to serve as a vital lifeline for the community, ensuring that those in need receive nutritious meals.

While the future reopening of the café remains uncertain, the hospital's commitment to supporting the community through its dietary services underscores the enduring spirit of generosity and care that defines Dayton.