Year spherical, HCA Healthcare colleagues assist native meals banks, pantries and soup kitchens via volunteer service, financial presents and in-kind donations. This vacation season, HCA Healthcare continues our efforts to battle meals insecurity with the second annual enterprise-wide Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food and Nutrition Drive.
During the month of November, HCA Healthcare and our colleagues supplied 878,000 nutritious meals to meals banks within the communities we serve by donating meals or making monetary contributions to assist buy perishable gadgets corresponding to milk, fruit and greens. By greater than half 1,000,000 meals, the quantity eclipses the 370,000 supplied in 2021.
Food insecurity — the shortage of constant entry to sufficient meals to have an lively, wholesome life-style — impacts 1 in 10 American households. The United States Department of Agriculture studies that 13.5 million U.S. households were food insecure sooner or later in 2021. Nutrition experts advise that meals insecurity and poor vitamin might result in weight problems – a significant danger issue for coronary heart illness, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and plenty of cancers.
The 878,000 nutritious meals supplied to households in want included:
- 80,722 meals donated by colleagues
- 196,313 meals from colleague charitable donations
- 68,333 meals from division presents
- 533,000 meals from $165,000 in grants supplied by the HCA Healthcare Foundation to the successful amenities and divisions of a artistic meals sculpture contest
‘Sculpting’ more healthy tomorrows for our communities
For the 2022 Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food and Nutrition Drive, hospitals had been inspired to get artistic and construct sculptures with the donated meals earlier than transporting it to their native meals banks. The prize? An extra grant to a meals financial institution within the hospital’s hometown to make an excellent larger influence.
Thirteen HCA Healthcare divisions submitted meals sculptures this yr.
Lee’s Summit Medical Center in Missouri received prime honors for his or her vacation tree of cans titled “Rooted in Our Values.” Each can of meals that made up the mosaic of the roots was topped with a notice that carried a person colleague’s motivation for giving again and offering superior, patient-centered care. One of the notes learn, “I care as a result of I like ensuring sufferers are handled like household when they’re right here.” Another notice learn, “I care as a result of starvation has a ripple impact, and nobody ought to go hungry.” Colleagues’ efforts had been awarded $35,000 in grants to native meals banks of their alternative: Meals on Wheels of Lee’s Summit and Lee’s Summit Social Services.
The Healthy Foods for Healthier Tomorrows initiative is one that really aligns with our total mission and reveals how our colleagues’ dedication to the care and enchancment of human life extends past the partitions of our hospital. We are past excited to assist a wholesome group in such an impactful method, and Meals on Wheels of Lee’s Summit and Lee’s Summit Social Services are unimaginable organizations that by no means fail to step up and assist guarantee our group’s wants are met.”
John McDonald, Chief Executive Office of HCA Healthcare’s Lee’s Summit Medical Center
Meals on Wheels of Lee’s Summit was created to assist guarantee aged and handicapped group members have entry to scorching, nutritious and scrumptious meals, which can assist them preserve a nutritious diet. The group has served over 500,000 meals since its inception and at present serves over 350 meals per week. “We are humbled, honored and appreciative of this reward from Lee’s Summit Medical Center,” mentioned Susie Newsam, board president for Meals on Wheels of Lee’s Summit, Missouri. “The longevity of our partnership not solely strengthens our organizations however advantages our group.”
HCA Healthcare’s Regional Medical Center of San Jose achieved second place and earned a $20,000 grant to an area meals financial institution of their alternative for his or her sculpture of California’s Golden Gate Bridge. The sculpture included particulars like a firetruck performing a rescue of a child and Alcatraz manufactured from meals cans.
HCA Florida Citrus Hospital took third place and earned $15,000 in grants for his or her native meals financial institution. Colleagues on the Florida-based hospital created a backpack as an emblem of their assortment efforts to offer jelly for the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches going to youngsters of their group for weekly “blessings in a backpack.”
Get concerned
At HCA Healthcare, we’re dedicated to bettering extra lives in additional methods. Championing well being and vitamin in our communities affords us so many various methods to do good. In addition to donating wholesome meals, you’ll be able to volunteer at an area food bank or contribute to a nonprofit organization that helps present wholesome meals in your group.
In addition, HCA Healthcare colleagues have the chance to observe their volunteer hours on-line, and all benefits-eligible colleagues can double their influence with charitable reward matching and volunteer grants. Gift matching begins at $25, and colleagues can earn $200 for the charity of their alternative by logging 10 hours of volunteer service.
Check out extra photographs from HCA Healthcare’s Healthier Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food and Nutrition Drive under.
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