140,000 meals donated to North Texas and Louisiana food banks
"Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows" food drive provides meals, funding and hope.
Dallas, Texas — More than 140,000 meals were provided to hungry North Texas and Louisiana families as a result of Medical City Healthcare’s fifth annual “Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows” food drive and sculpture contest.
Medical City Healthcare colleagues helped collect or made a financial contribution to help purchase 20,000 pounds of food and pledged $6,000 to 17 food banks and pantries across North Texas and Louisiana with the help of matching donations through the HCA Healthcare Foundation. One in seven people in North Texas faces food insecurity and does not know where their next meal is coming from, according to the North Texas Food Bank.
“Good nutrition is essential to good health,” says Allen Harrison, president of Medical City Healthcare. “Across our system, our compassionate colleagues continue to demonstrate how we care like family to improve lives far beyond our hospital walls.”
In addition, Medical City Healthcare hospitals in North Texas and Louisiana participated in a fun competition to build creative non-perishable food sculptures from some of the donated food with the theme “We Show Up to Fight Hunger.” This year, each hospital entry earned a cash grant for its selected food bank beneficiary. Funded by Medical City Healthcare and the HCA Healthcare Foundation, $35,000 in prize money will be donated to the beneficiaries of the winning food sculptures. Medical City McKinney won first place this year with its “Hangry Birds Fight Hunger” sculpture benefitting the Community Food Pantry of McKinney.
Beneficiaries of food donations and cash grants include the following in North Texas and Louisiana:
- Christian Community Action
- Community Enrichment Center
- Community Food Pantry of McKinney
- Denton Community Food Center
- Food Bank of Central Louisiana
- Frisco Family Services
- Irving Cares
- Lovepacs
- Minnie’s Food Pantry
- Mission Arlington
- Network of Community Ministries
- North Texas Food Bank
- Northwest ISD Foundation – Summer Snack Pack Program
- Parker County Center for Hope
- Tarrant Area Food Bank
- Wise Area Relief Mission
The food drive complements Medical City Healthcare’s award-winning kids teaching kids® Healthy Lifestyles program, which offers children and families nutrition education and resources to improve wellness and eating habits.
Image Caption: Top left image - Hangry Birds Fighting Hunger; Bottom left image - Tiny T-Rex Shows Up to Fight Hunger; Top right image - Harvesting Hope; Bottom left image - First Responders Fight Hunger-themed food sculptures using cans and boxed foods.