When it comes to relieving hunger, Yale New Haven Health employees and medical staff once again answered the call. In 2024, hundreds of employees and medical staff across the system donated more than 21,950 pounds of food to hunger-relief organizations during YNHHS’ fourth #GiveHealthy online food drive.
This year’s drive, which ran March 1 - 31 to coincide with National Nutrition Month, also included a leadership match for the final week of the drive. The donated food translates into nearly 18,300 meals for people in need throughout Connecticut, in Westerly, RI, and Port Chester, NY. Yale New Haven Hospital donors gave 7,317 pounds of food – 6,098 meals – through the Coordinated Food Access Network to support the United Way of Greater New Haven’s (UWGNH) annual April school break food distribution for New Haven Public Schools.
Since 2021, UWGNH has partnered with members of the Coordinated Food Assistance Network - including Loaves and Fishes, Cathedral of Higher Praise, The NICE Center, NHPS, CT Foodshare and Haven’s Harvest - to provide grocery bags to families with young people during school breaks.
“Due to the end of COVID-era programs and rising costs of food, our team has had to decrease the number of bags this school year from 1,200 to 500,” said Mike Degen, community impact manager, Food Security, UWGNH. “Thanks to Yale New Haven Hospital’s #GiveHealthy virtual food drive, we obtained enough food for 1,200 bags in our final distribution of the year in April and stocked the bags with an amazing array of fresh fruits and vegetables.
“Without the support of community partners like #GiveHealthy and Yale New Haven Health, grocery bag distributions like these would not be possible and more students would be confronting food insecurity during school breaks,” he said.
The food drive was conducted through #GiveHealthy, an organization that provides an online platform for hunger-relief organizations to set up “registries” listing items they need. Because the food is shipped from suppliers directly to hunger-relief organizations, donors could purchase fresh produce.
The initiative was organized through a collaboration among YNHHS’ Office of Health Equity & Community Impact, Community and Government Relations, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, Human Resources, Marketing and Communications, Employee Wellbeing, and Food and Nutrition.
