Teen's heartfelt donation supports CHOP's allergy food pantry

Teen donates to CHOP's allergy pantry

16-year-old Liam Matlack, of Gilbertsville, Pa., is making a donation to CHOP’s Food Allergy Pantry, a new addition to the Buerger building, a place where Liam has spent a lot of time.

UNIVERSITY CITY - A teenager's heartfelt mission is making a difference for families dealing with food allergies. 

Liam Matlack's donation to CHOP 

Liam Matlack, a 16-year-old from Gilbertsville, Pa., is donating to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's (CHOP) Food Allergy Pantry. 

The pantry is a new addition to the Buerger building, a place Matlack knows well due to his own food allergy journey. 

Matlack was diagnosed with multiple food allergies at just four months old. 

"I was diagnosed at four months old and I had multiple food allergies: shellfish, clams, peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, sesame," said Matlack. 

Over the years, he has managed his allergies through skin testing and food challenges. 

Safe Spoon Food Pantry 

Matlack, now a sophomore at Malvern Prep, understands the financial burden of maintaining an allergen-free diet. 

"I was lucky enough to have safe food growing up, to eat and afford it. Other people can’t necessarily afford it and I want to help them out," said Matlack. 

Matlack launched Safe Spoon Food Pantry to connect families with allergen-free foods. 

This initiative coincided with the opening of CHOP's food pantry, which offers free allergen-free food to allergy patients. 

CHOP's food allergy pantry 

CHOP dietitian Amy Dean highlighted the cost challenges of allergen-free foods, which can be 200% more expensive than regular foods. 

"Allergen-free food generally costs 200% of the food it replaces, so even families that don’t typically have trouble affording food find it challenging when their children have more than one food allergy," said Dean. 

The pantry, which opened in August, was established by Dr. Alex Navard-Keck. 

CHOP Food Pharmacy Manager Abbe Stern ensures the shelves are stocked with donations, offering items like nondairy milks, chickpea pastas, gluten-free flours, and snacks. 

The pantry has received private and community donations, proving successful in saving parents money and reducing the stress of a food allergy diagnosis. "They’re trying to afford it, trying to learn about label reading and what’s safe," said Dean. "Every resource that we can give them is, I hope, helpful."

What you can do:

If you would like to donate to CHOP’s allergy food pantry, email: foodpharmacy@chop.edu. 

To support Liam’s Safe Spoon Food Pantry, visit his Instagram page: @safespoonfoodpantry