Baptist hospitals help Food Bank feed hungry this summer

Hospital system to hold annual Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive June 6 - 13

(San Antonio) – In Bexar County, one in four children don’t know where their next meal will come from. The pandemic, rising costs and supply chain issues have only compounded the problem. About 46 percent of food bank clients are employed and still can’t afford food or groceries. Baptist Health System is leading a community effort to help area children and adults struggling with hunger and the San Antonio Food Bank with needed food supplies. The hospital system is once again this year, holding its annual Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive benefiting the San Antonio Food Bank. The drive kicks off Monday, June 6, and runs through Monday, June 13.

Doctors, nurses and all staff members at all five hospitals in San Antonio will be bringing in their donations of boxes of healthy cereal throughout the week of the Cereal Drive to benefit the San Antonio Food Bank. The hospital staff encourages the San Antonio community to join them in bringing cereal donations to help with the cause. Anyone can join in and participate by bringing healthy cereal box donations to any of the five San Antonio Baptist Health System hospitals from June 6 – 13 (See drop-off locations and addresses listed below).

Texas is ranked 2nd in the nation for food insecurity with 1 in 6 living in food insecure homes. Thousands of children are negatively affected annually when they can no longer rely on their schools’ lunch programs because of the summer break. Approximately 35 percent served by the local food bank are children and up to one-third are the elderly. Baptist Health System aims to lighten this burden by providing healthy cereal for these children through the Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive.

“At Baptist Health System, we understand the health issues children face from hunger and poor nutrition,” said Matt Stone, chief executive officer of Baptist Health System. “The past two years have been particularly devastating for families struggling with hunger. The pandemic and supply chain issues have increased food insecurity for many families. Many households have had to rely on food banks and other food programs to have access to the healthy meals they need to thrive,” Stone said. “We recognize the importance of beginning each day with a nutritious breakfast and, through this drive, hope to help many in our community struggling with food insecurity. We invite you to help kids be Healthy Over Hungry® this summer and thank you in advance for your compassion, generosity, and support,” he said.

Whole-grain cereal, when part of a healthy, balanced breakfast including dairy, fruit and lean protein, is a popular food item that experts say can easily address the hunger gap during the summer months when children are not in school.

Donations of healthy cereal to the Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive will be collected from June 6 - 13 at all Baptist Health System hospitals in San Antonio.

Look for the big red food collection bins. Hospital locations are here.

Source: San Antonio Food Bank