iHeartMedia, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Common Threads Host “Manners Matter” Field Trip for College Park Elementary
May 14 2024 - 3:50PM
Business Wire
Common Threads’ interactive cooking and
nutrition education programming also celebrated with a student
showcase and food giveaway for families on May 14.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has partnered with iHeartMedia
and national nutrition education nonprofit Common Threads to
provide College Park Elementary School students, families and staff
with cooking and nutrition education designed to encourage lifelong
healthy habits.
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Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
associates assist students from College Park Elementary School with
the "Manners Matter" program. (Photo: Business Wire)
Beginning in 2022, the partners built and continue to stock an
in-school food pantry as a permanent healthy food resource for the
school community. Hands-on cooking and nutrition education was
added to the initiative last year to inspire the community to
embrace healthy cooking.
The school’s 5th graders took a field trip to the Georgia
International Convention Center, where they were treated to a
multi-course banquet style meal as part of Common Threads “Manners
Matter” program. Manners Matter is an interactive experience aimed
at teaching students about basic etiquette and the importance of
not only enjoying a meal, but also the company dining with you.
Throughout the meal, Common Threads chefs and staff led the
young diners to try new foods as they learned about different
courses and Anthem volunteers were guests at each table to help
them practice the art of making conversation.
The celebration event is the culmination of a series of
interactive culinary programming, highlighted by students preparing
and sharing recipes they have learned. To date, the initiative has
provided more than 50,000 pounds of food and 4,300 hours of
accompanying education to the College Park Elementary School
community.
"We develop partnerships that address social inequities in the
communities where our members live and work,” said Robert Bunch,
president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia. "Working
with Common Threads and iHeartMedia to teach students the skills to
cook nutritious meals builds a healthy foundation that leads to
healthier communities."
Common Threads’ cooking and nutrition education curriculum
teaches students to identify and cook with affordable and healthy
ingredients, increase their vegetable, fruit, whole grain, and lean
protein intake, and lower their sugar intake. The curriculum embeds
experiential learning and culturally responsive recipes and
teaching practices to effectively increase students’ knowledge and
skills to prepare nutritious meals at home that will improve their
physical and mental health outcomes.
Linda Novick O’Keefe, Common Threads’ Chief Executive Officer
explained “here at Common Threads, we aim to improve community
health through the power of nutrition and food. Our multi-year
partnership with iHeart and Anthem continues to allow us to build
more equitable and vibrant communities.”
iHeartIMPACT, a division of iHeartMedia, focuses on aligning
brands with nonprofit organizations and ensures that while brands
are investing in media, they are doing so alongside national and
local nonprofit organizations who are positively impacting
communities across the country.
About iHeartIMPACT & Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Partnership
iHeartIMPACT is a division of iHeartMedia that focuses on
aligning brands with nonprofit organizations. Anthem Blue Cross and
Blue Shield and its affiliated companies are working with
iHeartIMPACT to support a series of nutrition education programs in
a total of six schools across Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and
Indianapolis. This partnership with national health and wellness
organization, Common Threads, is an extension of the companies'
multi-year commitment to addressing food insecurity and whole
health for communities across the country.
About Common Threads
Common Threads is a national leader in enhancing community
health through the power of nutrition and food. For over two
decades, the nonprofit has been addressing the often-neglected
connection between nutrition and overall well-being by providing
nutrition education, cooking skills training, and food access.
Operating in-person and digitally, Common Threads has
partnerships with over 2,200 schools, provided more than five
million meals, and has positively impacted the long-term
nutritional health of over one million individuals. From the
nation’s largest public school districts in New York City, Los
Angeles, Miami, and Chicago, to various community organizations and
medical institutions, its efforts are widespread. For additional
information, please visit commonthreads.org.
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Kersha Cartwright Kersha.Cartwright@elevancehealth.com,
678-767-0199