More Than 1,300 Families to Have Thanksgiving Dinner with Turkey and All the Trimmings This Holiday

From UnitedHealth Group:

More Than 1,300 Families to Have Thanksgiving Dinner with Turkey and All the Trimmings This Holiday

• More than 1,300 turkeys and $26,000 collected at Foodshare’s Hartford “Turkey Tuesday” drive, hosted by Bank of America and UnitedHealthcare
• Foodshare to continue accepting turkeys and other food through Tuesday, Nov. 25, for in-need families in time for Thanksgiving

HARTFORD, Conn. (Nov. 18, 2014) — 

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UnitedHealthcare’s Ashley Hess (left) and Joseph Quattrochi (right) join Bank of America, Foodshare and UnitedHealthcare volunteers to collect turkey and other non-perishable foods to enable families to have a Thanksgiving dinner with all the holiday fixings. More than 1,300 turkeys and more than $26,000 were collected at Foodshare’s Hartford “Turkey Tuesday” drive, on November 18, hosted by Bank of America and UnitedHealthcare. (PHOTO: Alan Grant, Digital Creations)

More than 1,300 families in Hartford and Tolland counties will be able to sit down to Thanksgiving dinner thanks to the generosity of Hartford employers and residents who stopped by 185 Asylum St. this morning to drop off turkeys and other holiday food items, and donate money for additional meals.

Over the course of the four-hour food drive, hundreds of people dropped off turkeys, stuffing, cranberry sauce and other holiday food items. The food will be distributed to families in Hartford and Tolland counties who requested assistance in preparing their holiday meals.

“We want to thank everyone who donated food so in-need families could have a happier Thanksgiving, knowing they will be able to share a meal together,” said Gloria McAdam, president of Foodshare. “Each year, the number of families needing additional support around the holidays increases, and each year we continue to meet the demand because people understand the importance of the holidays and want to give.”

“Organizations like Foodshare make our community stronger by fighting back against hunger, one family and one meal at a time,” said Kevin Cunningham, Connecticut president, Bank of America. “Through the dedication of our volunteers and partners at Turkey Tuesday, hundreds of local families will get enough to eat for the Thanksgiving holiday.”

Foodshare will continue to collect and distribute food for Thanksgiving until Tuesday, Nov. 25. The food bank’s Bloomfield distribution center is accepting donations and has extend its hours of operation beginning Tuesday, Nov. 18. For more information on how to help, or for a list of food drop-off sites, visit www.aturkeyand30.org.

“UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to support Foodshare this holiday season and help enable families in need to celebrate Thanksgiving with a delicious meal with all the trimmings,” said Craig LaFiandra of UnitedHealthcare. Nearly 20 UnitedHealthcare employee volunteers helped gather donations and load the Foodshare truck with turkeys and other food donations, and UnitedHealthcare conducted its own food drive among its more than 2,000 Hartford-based employees at its 185 Asylum St. office.

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(PHOTO: Alan Grant, Digital Creations)

About Foodshare
Foodshare is building a movement to solve hunger, bringing together individuals and organizations in all 42 towns of Hartford and Tolland counties. Foodshare does this in three key ways by:

• Increasing the amount of food available, to continue feeding our 128,000 hungry neighbors — including seniors, the working poor and 50,000 children. Foodshare distributes enough food to provide 12 million meals annually through our network of 300 local partners.
• Building self-sufficiency to reduce the number of people in need. In this way, we address the chronic underlying reasons why people are hungry. These stem from poverty, not just the immediate lack of food.
• Involving the entire community to increase their understanding of these real causes and solutions to hunger.  Our goal is to inspire community members to become personally involved in effective hunger solutions.

Since 1982, Foodshare has sought to end hunger in our region. Working in partnership with other community leaders such as the United Way, End Hunger Connecticut! and 211 Infoline, Foodshare has the experience and is building the networks necessary to help make this vision a reality. 

About Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small businesses, middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 48 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 4,900 retail banking offices and approximately 15,700 ATMs and award-winning online banking with 31 million active users and more than 16 million mobile users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in more than 40 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 800,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves 45 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.

  

New York Giants Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie’s Dreambuilders, Blessings in a Backpack, UnitedHealthcare Provide Food to New York City Children

From UnitedHealth Group:

New York Giants Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie’s Dreambuilders, Blessings in a Backpack, UnitedHealthcare Provide Food to New York City Children

• “Dreambuilders” program gives children healthy take-home meals each weekend

NEW YORK (Nov. 18, 2014) — 

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Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie of the New York Giants and Michael McGuire, CEO of UnitedHealthcare of New York and New Jersey (both, back left) look on as Anabelle Colon of P.S. 15 (lower left) and Paul Brant of UnitedHealthcare (lower right) try to beat Rodgers-Cromartie in a 60-second health quiz. Anabelle was one of 30 students from P.S. 15 who participated in health-related events today to kick off his “food for children” initiative. (PHOTO: Gerard Gaskin) 


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Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie of the New York Giants and founder of Dreambuilders New York (right) takes Nasieer Wright (left) and other students from P.S. 15 through a series of warm-up exercise at a kick-off event today for this “food for children” initiative. (PHOTO: Gerard Gaskin) 

New York Giants Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie’s Dreambuilders program, Blessings in a Backpack and UnitedHealthcare are providing healthy meals to 250 children at PS 15 in Manhattan, and PS 502 and PS 102 in Brooklyn every weekend for a year.

Dreambuilders and UnitedHealthcare today kicked off this year’s “food for children” initiative with fun-filled, healthy activities for students at PS 15. Dominique went toe-to-toe with students, testing their health knowledge on topics such as healthy eating and exercise; taking them through some football-style warm-ups; and throwing the football with the students. He also talked to them about the importance of being physically active and staying healthy.

“Access to healthy foods and staying active are critical to helping kids reach their full potential. This year, we are working with Blessings in a Backpack and UnitedHealthcare to get bags of food into the hands of kids who need it the most and to keep them fed on the weekends, when they don’t have access to meals at school,” said Rodgers-Cromartie, who launched his Dreambuilders program after joining the New York Giants earlier this year. “I look forward to working with UnitedHealthcare to explore what more we can do together to help children grow up healthier.”

“Programs such as Dreambuilders help address a significant need in our communities – giving children access to healthy food,” said Michael McGuire, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of New York and New Jersey. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with Dreambuilders and Blessings in a Backpack, and look forward to expanding this program to include nutrition education and physical activity to help children – and their families – develop a lifelong commitment to good health.”

In 2012, nearly 474,000 – or one in four – children in New York City lived in households that did not have an adequate food supply, a 31-percent increase from 2006-2008, according to a study by the New York City Coalition against Hunger. 

“It is only through the generous support of organizations like Dreambuilders and UnitedHealthcare that we can provide backpacks of food to children so they can have food they need during those times when free or reduced-priced school lunches are not available,” said Brooke Wiseman, CEO, Blessings in a Backpack.

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, serves nearly 4 million residents across New York with a care provider network of more than 200 hospitals and 60,000 physicians and other health providers statewide.

“Hunger knows no age, no day, and no season, and that is why feeding our children and giving them a good start at life is so important. There is no denying that for some of New York's school children, their best meals are those they eat in school. I am proud to join with Blessings in a Backpack, UnitedHealthcare and New York Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie's Dreambuilders in helping to fight hunger in our City,” said New York Senator Marty Golden. “I thank our sponsors on behalf of the 250 children who will now be served a well-balanced and nutritious meal on the weekends, including in my district at Public School 102.”

“Proper nutrition is essential not only in keeping children attentive in the classroom, but in getting them through the day. I'm so thankful to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and his Dreambuilders program, as well as UnitedHealthcare, for making today's event a reality,” said New York Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, Assembly District 64.

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Dreambuilders, Blessings in a Backpack and UnitedHealthcare are providing healthy meals to 250 children at PS 15 in Manhattan, and PS 502 and PS 102 in Brooklyn every weekend for a year. (PHOTO: Gerard Gaskin)

About the Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Dreambuilders Program
As a program under the umbrella of the Dreambuilders Foundation, New York Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie started his Dreambuilders program to provide essential nutrition to kids in need in New York. The program provides backpacks of healthy foods and snacks for in-need children to take home over the weekends, when they may not otherwise have access to nutritious meals. His program also will support St. Jude’s Research Hospital, and its efforts to find cures and save children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

About Blessings in a Backpack
Blessings in a Backpack, People Magazines Charity of 2012, is a results-oriented program that is designed to feed elementary school children whose families qualify for the federally funded National School Lunch Program and have little or no food on the weekends. Better test scores, improved reading skills, positive behavior, improved health and increased attendance have all been attributed to the success of this program. As little as $100 feeds one American school child in our program for an entire 38-week school year. Blessings in a Backpack is currently feeding over 63,000 children across 44 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. (see all atwww.blessingsinabackpack.org). 
We are Feeding the Future of America^® – one school at a time.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 800,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves 45 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.

  

Fisher House Foundation and United Health Foundation Break Ground on Fisher House at Camp Pendleton

From UnitedHealth Group:

Fisher House Foundation and United Health Foundation Break Ground on Fisher House at Camp Pendleton

• Fisher House will open mid-2015 and will support nearby Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton
• United Health Foundation provides $2.65 million for the project; first time a Fisher House is supported by a sole funder

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Nov. 18, 2014) — 

Fisher House Foundation and United Health Foundation on Tuesday, Nov. 19, broke ground on a new $2.65 million Fisher House at Camp Pendleton that will serve as a home away from home for military families, including families of wounded warriors, who can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment at nearby Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. Breaking ground are left to right: Derek Donovan, vice president of Fisher House Foundation; Capt. Mark Kobelja, Commanding Officer of Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton; Brig. Gen. Joaquin F. Malavet; and John Mateczun, M.D., President, UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans. 

Photo Credit: Jamie Rector

Click here for photos and videos

Fisher House Foundation and United Health Foundation broke ground today on the Fisher House at Camp Pendleton,  that will serve as a home away from home for military families, including families of wounded warriors, who can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment at nearby Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton.This house is the first at Camp Pendleton and will be located adjacent to the new Naval Hospital with a view overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The groundbreaking event was hosted by the Deputy Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force Brig. Gen Joaquin F. Malavet and attended by Capt. Mark Kobelja, Commanding Officer Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton; Derek Donovan, vice president of programs at Fisher House Foundation; and John Mateczun, M.D., President, UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company.

The construction of the Camp Pendleton Fisher House is the first to be funded through the support of a single donor – United Health Foundation, which provided a $2.65 million grant. The home will be an eight-suite, 8,000+ square-foot home that is expected to serve more than 280 families and provide nearly 3,000 nights of lodging annually, and save those families more than $250,000 a year in lodging expenses. 

“We are honored that the Fisher House Foundation has chosen Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton as the location to build its next facility. We understand the important role family members play in the healing process of our service members, and now, along with our new Naval hospital, we will be able to provide the same world-class service to our families as we do our service members,” said Brig. Gen. Edward D. Banta, Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations West-Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

The United Health Foundation Caregiver Support Program will make child care available to military families staying at the Camp Pendleton Fisher House through a special grant to the Zach and Elizabeth Fisher Child Development Center located on Camp Pendleton. Childcare can be a critical need for families visiting loved ones, as children are not typically allowed access to in-patient wards, and caring for children in a hospital environment is not an ideal situation for families. This trendsetting program will provide additional support to caregivers and families of wounded warriors and other military service members who are recovering at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton.

“I want to thank United Health Foundation for its generous partnership and for providing childcare support to families staying at the new Fisher House,” said Ken Fisher, CEO and Chairman of Fisher House Foundation. “For 25 years, Fisher Houses have provided ‘a home away from home’ for military and veterans’ families dealing with injury or illness. This home at Camp Pendleton is one step closer to providing that care for all of our deserving men, women and their families for decades to come.”

“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Fisher House Foundation to build this new home and develop the Caregiver Support Program for the men and women who serve our country and their children and families,” Mateczun said. “Convenient, trusted childcare is so important to many of the families that will stay at this Fisher House. At a time when they have so many things to address and plan for, alleviating this need will help make their stay easier.”

This new hospital will serve more than 70,000 active-duty and veteran members of the military and their families.      

The new Fisher House will allow loved ones to be close to a hospitalized service member at Camp Pendleton, and will augment the lodging needs of the Fisher Houses located at the nearby Naval Medical Center San Diego where many critically wounded service members receive treatment and rehabilitate. 

About United Health Foundation 
Through collaboration with community partners, grants and outreach efforts, United Health Foundation works to improve our health system, build a diverse and dynamic health workforce and enhance the well-being of local communities. United Health Foundation was established by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private foundation dedicated to improving health and health care. To date, United Health Foundation has committed more than $240 million to programs and communities around the world. We invite you to learn more at www.unitedhealthfoundation.org.

About Fisher House Foundation
Fisher Houses are constructed to provide free, temporary housing to the families of service members and Veterans needing medical care.   Enabling family members to be near a loved one in a time of need – often without warning or the ability to muster the financial resources to do so – is a core concept of the Fisher House motto: “A Family’s Love is Good Medicine.”  Additionally, Fisher House Foundation operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members. The Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other military charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses and children of fallen and disabled veterans. www.fisherhouse.org.