Employees Donate 2,000 Pounds of Food for Local Children

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., April 23, 2018 Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center employees donated nearly 2,000 pounds of non-perishable food to Halifax Urban Ministries and Food Brings Hope. These nonprofit organizations will provide children who receive free or reduced-price school lunches with food on the weekends.

In our own community, there is a growing number of children on free or reduced lunch. Last year, nearly 65 percent of the school systems 63,000 students were eligible for free or reduced lunch. This year, that number has grown, and nearly 75 percent of the school systems kids now qualify, said Ed Noseworthy, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center CEO. These children can get breakfast and lunch while they are at school, but what happens when they go home? Many of them go home to empty pantries on Friday afternoon and don't get another well-balanced meal until they return to school on Monday. This is why this food drive is so close to the hearts of our employees. We want to help the children battling food insecurity in our community, so they can come to school ready to learn.

In addition, employees donated nearly 650 diapers for Family Renew Community, a Volusia County nonprofit organization that helps homeless parents on a path toward supporting their families in places of their own.

About Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center

Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 46 hospital campuses in nine states, serving more than 5 million patients annually. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center includes the 327-bed facility in Daytona Beach, as well as Florida Hospital Oceanside with 80 beds in Ormond Beach. Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center and Florida Hospital Oceanside are two of the seven Florida Hospitals in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties that composes the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region has 1,226 beds and more than 7,800 employees.