On Thursday, October 22, Metro Community Health Center rolled out the red carpet for Roasted Roots Catering, a food truck that will travel around the Pittsburgh area, serving fresh foods and exciting menus.
Metro Community Health Center brought out two new food trucks to better serve the community: Rolling Roots, stocked with fresh produce and meats for its constituents, and Roasted Roots, a catering service that will support Metro Community Health Center with delicious, nutritious food.
Roasted Roots Catering promises to deliver thoughtfully crafted, personalized menus prepared by Joe Comunale, Executive Chef of Metro Community Health Center, while supporting a good cause.
Michael J. Mingrone, President & CEO of Metro Community Health Center, said, “We are removing barriers for those in our care, and food insecurity is one of those barriers. With the food trucks, we can support our patients and our community.”
Mingrone added, “We will be serving the needs of the community and our patients with the highest quality meats and produce. There’s nothing we serve our patients that I, personally, wouldn’t eat.”
Katherine A. Homrok, MD, Chief Medical Officer and a founding member of the organization, said, “Our Roasted Roots Food Truck is another way to generate revenue to serve our community best.”
Metro Community Health Center is a community-based organization that provides comprehensive primary and preventive care, including medical, oral health, and mental health services, to people of all ages and identities, regardless of ability to pay or health insurance status, including LGBTQ+ people.
The organization advocates “whole-person care,” striving to treat and care for every aspect of an individual’s health, mind, and body.
Chef Joe Comunale is an experienced executive chef with over 30 years in the culinary industry and joined the organization over a year ago. He said, “I’ve been a chef with some big flag hotels, but I find this work so rewarding. It is an amazing organization.”
The chef produced fifteen appetizers for the Rolling and Roasted Roots truck debut. After a tasting, Metro chose six appetizers for their event. Chef Comunale is especially proud of his pork belly sandwich, a highlight of the Thursday night launch party.
Homrok said, “In the mid-1990s, clinical services declined when Forbes Health System sold Forbes Metro Hospital and relocated its physicians to other parts of the county. After the hospital closed, several private practices and the hospital emergency room in the neighborhood also closed.”
Homrok did not want to leave the community without health services and joined other medical professionals to form Metro Family Practice, which eventually became Metro Community Health Center.
Their website, which offers services to everyone regardless of identity, income, insurance status, or ability to pay, is available at metrocommunityhealthcenter.org.
The Roasted Roots Catering has customized menus for corporate meetings, fundraisers, community events, and private parties. For inquiries, contact Paige Jones at pjones@metropgh.or or 412-539-7138.
