PORTLAND, Maine, May 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- This month, Martin's
Point Health Care will donate $22,000
to ease food insecurity among seniors and children in Maine. The gift includes an $11,000 donation in continued support of the
Southern Maine Agency on Aging's Meals on Wheels program, which
alleviates hunger and isolation among homebound seniors, and an
$11,000 donation to Full Plates Full
Potential, a collaborative effort to end child hunger in
Maine.
The total amount of the donations has special significance, as
Martin's Point celebrates earning the #22 spot on Fortune
magazine's Great Place to Work® 2019 ranking of U.S. health care
organizations. Martin's Point was the only New England organization
to break the top 25, with rankings determined by a survey of almost
730,000 U.S. employees.
"We owe this achievement to our employees' commitment to
sustaining a culture that respects and nurtures all of us—within
our organization and in our community at large," said Dr.
David Howes, President and CEO of
Martin's Point. "In that nurturing spirit, our donations to local
organizations focused on nourishing the most vulnerable in our
community seemed like the perfect way to celebrate and thank our
employees for their efforts."
Food insecurity is no small problem in Maine, hitting children and seniors
particularly hard. One out of five children in the state don't have
enough to eat, reports Full Plates Full Potential, a Maine nonprofit that unites the food
community, private citizens, and government organizations to stem
childhood hunger. And, in the last six months, the Southern
Maine Agency on Aging reports a record number of referrals for its
Meals on Wheels program, which currently serves more than 700
adults age 60 and up in Cumberland
and York counties.
"We have more than 250 clients waiting to receive Meals on
Wheels," says Renee Longarini,
Nutrition Manager at Southern Maine
Area of Aging. "Generous donations like this from Martin's
Point allow us to get more meals out and shorten the length of time
they wait to receive those meals. [This] $11,000 will allow us to provide 1,375 meals to
those in need."
"This donation will fund grants to help Maine public schools change their culture
around food access and remove barriers, so every child that needs
food can grow and learn," says Justin
Alfond, cofounder of Full Plates Full Potential. "We're
honored to have support from Martin's Point."
The $22K donation from Martin's
Point is part of their continuing commitment to foster a healthier
community. Efforts include charitable giving; strategic
partnerships with community organizations like University of Southern Maine, Southern Maine Agency
on Aging, American Heart Association, and American Diabetes
Association; and engaging employees with paid time off to
volunteer.
About Martin's Point Health Care
Martin's Point Health Care is a not-for-profit organization
providing primary and specialty health care and health insurance
plans. They operate seven health care centers and offer Medicare
Advantage plans in Maine and
New Hampshire and offer TRICARE®
insurance plans in northern New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. Visit them at
www.MartinsPoint.org.
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SOURCE Martin's Point Health Care