Desert Regional Medical Center, Hi-Desert Medical Center and JFK Memorial Hospital to Host Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive

Because Hunger Doesn’t Take a Summer Vacation

Desert Care Network hospitals in the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin are leading a community effort to provide area children and adults struggling with hunger with a healthy breakfast during the summer through its Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive benefitting FIND Food Bank, a member of the Feeding America network. The drive kicks off Friday, June 1 and runs through Friday, June 8.

“At our hospitals, we see the health issues children and their families face from hunger and poor nutrition,” said Linda Evans, chief strategy officer for community advocacy at Desert Care Network. “We recognize the importance of beginning each day with a nutritious breakfast and, through this drive, we hope to help the many in our community struggling with food insecurity. We are fortunate to have a partner in FIND Food Bank, which provides food to pantries and distribution centers in the low and high desert areas. We invite you to join our Healthy Over Hungry® campaign to help feed children this summer.”

In our region, 8 out of 10 local school children qualify for school-based meals through the Free and Reduced-Price Meal Program, which often provides lunch and snacks as well as breakfast each day. 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 help address the hunger gap during the summer months when children are not in school.

“During our scorching hot summers, when budgets are tightest, kids are hungriest, and school is out of session, fewer than 1 in 10 local kids will continue to have access to school-based nutrition,” said Debbie Espinosa, CEO of FIND Food Bank. “We are grateful to everyone at Desert Regional, JFK Memorial and Hi-Desert Medical Centers for this campaign which will help support our summer feeding program that reaches more than 6,000 children and their families weekly at 40 different food distribution locations.”

Donations of healthy cereal to the Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive will be collected from June 1 through June 8 in the main lobbies of Desert Regional Medical Center, 1150 N. Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs; JFK Memorial Hospital, 47111 Monroe St. in Indio; or Hi-Desert Medical Center, 6601 White Feather Rd in Joshua Tree. For those who wish to provide a financial donation for perishable breakfast items, please visit https://findfoodbank.org.

All financial donations made during our campaign will be matched by Desert Care Network’s parent company, Tenet Healthcare, up to $100,000. Go to www.desertcarenetwork.com to learn more about the Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive campaign.