Foodbank, CHKD and Rite Aid Healthy Futures Join Forces to Connect Communities
Thanks to a generous $50,000 Connecting Communities grant from Rite Aid Healthy Futures, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD) and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore will collaborate to provide essential support to low- and moderate-income patient families, ensuring access to healthy, shelf-stable food and vital assistance with referrals for various needs.
Launched in 2021, the Connecting Communities program finds innovative ways to link major institutions and their communities to nurture and promote health equity for children, especially those who may already be receiving medical care or living with a serious illness such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, among others. The grant will be used for a family nutrition program based at General Academic Pediatrics in CHKD’s new Children’s Pavilion that identifies patients and families who would benefit from a pantry bag of shelf-stable food as well as assistance with referrals for food and other critical needs.
The Foodbank will leverage its industry relationships to purchase high-quality, nutritious products that will directly benefit the families served through this program. Additionally, we are proud to extend our support to the CHKD volunteers, offering them a welcoming space at our facility to assemble the food bags with care. On Thursday, November 2nd, between 9 am and 12 pm, a team of sixteen committed volunteers from GameStop packed bags during their annual GameStop Gives week. Furthermore, on Thursday, November 16th, members of The King’s Daughters Circles will be taking over this task. The King’s Daughters are the founding organization of CHKD.
“Food insecurity is a significant issue that can have a negative effect on the overall wellbeing of our patients and families. We are excited to partner with Rite Aid Healthy Futures and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore to further the reach of our Family Nutrition Program,” said Kate Ryan, philanthropy officer at CHKD.
With a shared vision of building healthier, more equitable neighborhoods, these organizations’ innovative, community-rooted initiatives are addressing hunger and food insecurity, particularly for vulnerable children, and creating healthier communities for generations to come.
About the Foodbank
For more than 40 years, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore has provided more than 380 million meals to those in our community who face hunger. Through our programs, facilities, and large network of community partners, we work to eliminate hunger daily. Our understanding of the need for a long-term solution has led to the creation of a refreshed strategic plan aimed at moving Hampton Roads closer to achieving the mission of eliminating hunger for those we serve—not only for the day, or for the week, but for a lifetime. For up-to-date information, visit foodbankonline.org or follow us on social media.
About CHKD
CHKD is the only freestanding, full-service children’s hospital in Virginia and serves the medical and surgical needs of children throughout greater Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina. The not-for-profit CHKD Health System operates primary care pediatric practices, surgical practices, multi-service health centers, urgent care centers, and satellite offices throughout its service region. In 2022, CHKD opened the 60-bed, 14-story Children’s Pavilion on its campus to address the mental health crisis facing our youth. Learn more at CHKD.org.
About Rite Aid Healthy Futures
Rite Aid Healthy Futures, formerly known as The Rite Aid Foundation, is a public charity dedicated to driving change in communities, with an emphasis on underserved neighborhoods, focusing on the areas of health, wellness, race and equity. Together with our donors, Rite Aid associates, community partners and neighbors, we help lift up local neighborhoods by donating more than $15 million a year to causes, initiatives and organizations that make a difference in people’s lives. Healthy Futures is proud to be affiliated with Rite Aid, which provides an array of whole-being health products and services for the entire family through over 2,000 retail pharmacy locations across 17 states. Visit www.RiteAidHealthyFutures.org to learn more.