HCA Virginia takes on food insecurity by donating 5,919 meals to 12 local food banks

Over the holiday season, HCA Virginia helped stock the shelves at 12 local food banks across the Commonwealth as part its annual Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows food drive.

Over the course of a two-week collection drive, colleagues at 13 HCA Healthcare hospitals collected a total of 7,103 pounds of donated food, providing 5,919 nutritious meals to a dozen food banks throughout Central, Northern and Southwest Virginia.

In addition to the collection drive, facilities were eligible for a $10,000 grant award, provided by the HCA Healthcare Foundation, for their foodbank partner by winning first place in its divisional food drive sculpture contest. Chippenham and Johnston-Willis hospitals won for their “Let the Good Times Roll” and “Frosty the Snow-Can" displays, which included a combined total of 1,558 pounds of donated goods to construct. Feed More, a member of Feeding America, received the grant award.

“Our colleagues continually show up to positively influence outcomes for our patients and communities,” said Lance Jones, chief executive officer for Chippenham and Johnston-Willis hospitals. “Our annual food drive is another important example of how our colleagues care for our community to improve more lives in more ways beyond the hospital walls.”

Started in 2021, the Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows is HCA Healthcare’s enterprise-wide annual give back campaign aimed at helping communities address food insecurity by providing nutritious meals to families in communities we serve.

“We recognize that 1 in 8 Americans lack consistent access to nutritious food, which is associated with a variety of health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, mental health disorders and other chronic diseases,” said Christopher Finley, assistant vice president of community engagement for HCA Healthcare. “We are elated to make this donation to such a worthy organization to combat food insecurity in our community.”