UnitedHealthcare Supports Volunteers Of America Greater New Orleans’ Fresh Food Factor
UnitedHealthcare’s support triples the amount of healthy meals served to students in New Orleans Public Schools
November 12, 2014 /3BL Media/ - Healthy lunches for hundreds of underserved school kids were prepared by UnitedHealthcare employees today at Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans’ Fresh Food Factor. Fresh Food Factor, a program of Volunteers of America, is a community effort that provides New Orleans public school students healthy, nutritious food.
In addition to providing volunteers for today’s activity, UnitedHealthcare is funding the purchase and installation of a commercial-grade walk-in cooler and a roll-in blast chiller at the Fresh Food Factor headquarters. Last year, Fresh Food Factor served over 200,000 healthy meals to over 1,400 children in the Greater New Orleans area. This year, with the addition of the commercial-grade equipment, Fresh Food Factor is positioned to experience exponential growth and is projected to serve nearly 800,000 nutritious breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks.
Since opening the state-of-the-art commercial kitchen in 2013, Fresh Food Factor has provided a healthy and affordable food service solution to local schools, child development programs and summer camps. Skilled chefs create fresh, delicious and nutritious meals that nourish the bodies and minds of children throughout the community.
“We are so thankful for UnitedHealthcare’s support that will enable us to substantially increase the number of nutritious meals we provide to our children,” said James LeBlanc, President/CEO, Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans. “The Fresh Food Factor program is an investment in our children and our future. For our nation to be healthy we have to start right here in our own community.”
UnitedHealthcare’s support of Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans is part of the CBS EcoMedia WellnessAd program.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to support Fresh Food Factor to provide students with nutritious meals while teaching them the importance of a healthy lifestyle and good eating habits,” said Glen Golemi, regional CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
Support of Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans’ Fresh Food Factor comes at a critical time. Budget cuts have adversely affected meal programs in public schools, forcing schools to rely on vendors who provide processed foods rather than natural, fresh produce. Childhood obesity remains a major health issue in south Louisiana where one in three children are classified as obese or overweight.
“Every child should have the opportunity to grow up in a healthy school food environment,” said Paul Polizzotto, president and founder of CBS EcoMedia. “Thanks to the generous financial support provided by UnitedHealthcare as part of our WellnessAd program, and its commitment to building healthier communities, children in the community will have access to nutritious meals, develop healthy eating habits and ultimately perform better in school.”
This project is the latest in UnitedHealthcare’s “Do Good. Live Well.” employee volunteer initiative, whose mission is to inspire service and encourage volunteerism. For more information about the benefits of volunteering and to find local opportunities to get involved, visit www.DoGoodLiveWell.org. Follow @DoGoodLiveWell on Twitter or “like” Do Good. Live Well. on Facebook.
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.
About Volunteers of America
Volunteers of America is a national, nonprofit, faith-based organization dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Since 1896, our ministry of service has supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men returning from prison, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions. Our work touches the mind, body, heart-and ultimately the spirit-of those we serve, integrating our deep compassion with highly effective programs and services. For more information about Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans, please visit www.voagno.org.
About CBS EcoMedia Inc.
At EcoMedia, we’re propelled by the desire to create positive social change; that’s been our mission since we founded the company in 2002. In 2010, after successfully partnering with CBS on a wide range of environmental projects, EcoMedia became the newest addition to the CBS Corporation portfolio, exponentially scaling our reach across television, radio, interactive, publishing and outdoor media.
Through our patent-pending EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd programs, an innovative twist on traditional advertising, advertisers are able to support much-needed local projects which in turn creates jobs, saves taxpayer money and improves the quality of life in communities nationwide. In the process, we’re fundamentally altering the advertising landscape, elevating the ordinary, traditional commercial – and media, in general – into a catalyst for tangible, quantifiable social change. Please visit ecomediacbs.com, like us at facebook.com/EcoMediaCBS or follow us at Twitter.com/EcoMediaCBS.
By participating in EcoMedia’s EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd advertising programs, EcoMedia’s advertisers agree to provide funding for projects we believe will have a beneficial effect upon the environment, health and/or education within local communities. EcoMedia’s advertising programs are not certification programs nor are the EcoAd, WellnessAd or EducationAd logos seals of approval. EcoMedia does not in any way certify, endorse or make any representations about EcoMedia program advertisers, their products or services.
