Cigna Foundation Puts Kids on Healthier Path by Combatting Childhood Hunger in St. Louis
October 29 2019 - 12:00PM
Business Wire
- St. Louis, home base for Express Scripts, a Cigna company, is
the first of multiple U.S. and international cities chosen as hubs
to help today’s kids grow into tomorrow’s healthy adults.
- Shop & Grow Markets will provide free groceries and
nutritional resources to students and families in two St. Louis
Public Schools.
Children shouldn’t worry about where their next meal is coming
from, yet an estimated 1 in 5 young people in Missouri will be
going to bed hungry tonight1. To tackle the widespread public
health issues of child hunger, food insecurity and lack of quality
nutrition, the Cigna Foundation is taking action to positively
impact local communities like St. Louis where employees of Cigna
live and work.
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A Cigna Foundation grant will deliver fresh, frozen and
shelf-stable foods at no cost to students and families of Ashland
Elementary School and Yeatman-Liddell College Preparatory Middle
School. The Foundation is partnering locally with The Little Bit
Foundation and the St. Louis Area Foodbank to provide this
offering. The Ashland Shop & Grow market opened Oct. 22, and
the Yeatman-Liddell market opens today. A grand opening celebration
is planned for Nov. 7.
“Schools are a focal point for addressing child health issues,
and many already have programs and partnerships offering food and
nutrition support,” said Susan Stith, executive director of Cigna
Foundation. “We want to work together to fill the gaps that exist
in and outside the school environment. Ashland Elementary and
Yeatman-Liddell are located in a region of the city often described
as a ‘food desert’ because of the lack of grocery stores in the
area. Through the Shop & Grow Markets, we’re bringing groceries
directly to them.”
The donation is part of Healthier Kids For Our FutureSM, Cigna’s
$25 million, five-year global initiative to improve the health and
well-being of children. Healthier Kids For Our Future addresses
three key areas of children’s health and welfare that align to the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – good health and
well-being, zero hunger and no poverty. The first year of the
initiative addresses the second goal, zero hunger.
The Cigna Foundation is awarding up to $5 million over the next
year, and nonprofit organizations are invited to apply for
grants.
“We’re grateful to the Cigna Foundation, The Little Bit
Foundation and St. Louis Area Foodbank for helping to give our
students the best opportunity to learn, grow and thrive,” said Dr.
Kelvin Adams, superintendent, St. Louis Public Schools. “The lack
of quality nutrition negatively affects brain development, learning
abilities and education outcomes. Whether a student just happened
to skip breakfast or if their family is struggling to put food on
the table, they now have free access to healthy food.”
About the Cigna Foundation
The Cigna Foundation, established in 1962, is a private
foundation funded by contributions from Cigna Corporation (NYSE:CI)
and its subsidiaries. The Cigna Foundation supports organizations
sharing its commitment to enhancing the health of individuals and
families, and the well-being of their communities, with a special
focus on those communities where Cigna employees live and work.
About The Little Bit Foundation
Founded in 2001, The Little Bit Foundation
(www.thelittlebitfoundation.org) works to eliminate barriers to
learning by addressing the basic needs of students living in
poverty in the St. Louis region. In area schools, Little Bit brings
partnerships and programs that align with district and school
performance goals and provide for the needs of the whole child.
Working one-on-one with students, Little Bit supports personal
care, classroom readiness, literacy, and health and wellness, and
through unique high school programming, helps students stay on
track for graduation and beyond. The results are positive personal
growth and increased self-esteem in students impacted by poverty,
leading to improved attendance, behavior and academic success.
Follow Little Bit on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About the St. Louis Area Foodbank
The St. Louis Area Foodbank began its service to the community
in 1975. Since that time, the organization has grown to become the
bi-state region’s largest nonprofit 501c3 food distribution center
dedicated to feeding individuals in need. Through a robust network
of community partners and programs throughout 26 counties in
Missouri and Illinois, the Foodbank helps provide 37 million meals
annually. More than 392,000 people in the bi-state region rely on
the Foodbank for assistance each year. For more information on the
organization and the issue of hunger, please visit
www.STLFoodbank.org, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/STLFoodbank
and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/STLFoodbank.
1 http://map.feedingamerica.org
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MEDIA CONTACT: Christine Portell 314-560-9909
cportell@express-scripts.com
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