ProMedica Approaches Hunger as a Health Issue

ProMedica's (NW Ohio and SE Michigan) mission is to improve the health and well-being of the people it serves. Through partnerships with local and regional organizations and the community health needs assessment conducted by its member hospitals, ProMedica identified hunger as a significant health issue for the communities. As part of its Come to the Table program, now in its fourth year, ProMedica supports free- and reduced- breakfast and lunch programs for qualified school children, as well as after school snack/meal programs.

In addition, ProMedica hosts bi-annual food drives within its hospitals and office locations to support local food banks. Moreover, in partnership with The Alliance to End Hunger, ProMedica embraced a bold initiative to end hunger in the region by 2015. ProMedica was selected in 2012, and again in 2013, as one of 13 national Share Our Strength: No Kid Hungry Allies to address childhood hunger. It recently hosted a local hunger summit at which agencies and community members gathered to discuss barriers to ending hunger. Further, in accordance with the Alliance's guidelines, ProMedica helped to organize a Hunger-Free Region initiative that will serve as a model for other communities by engaging city, county and regional government officials as well as county health departments. It also collaborated to establish a statewide hunger caucus through which state legislators are invited to take a leadership role toward decreasing the human and economic impacts of hunger on residents.

ProMedica, along with The Alliance to End Hunger, is currently planning a national hunger summit in Washington D.C. to bring awareness to the national implications of hunger. To learn more about their efforts, please visit ProMedica's website at www.promedica.org.