Dallas-Based Tenet Collects 4.5M servings of Cereal for Children
Tenet Healthcare Corporation 2019 Healthy Over Hungry cereal drive collected 4.5 million servings of cereal to benefit more than 100 local food banks and nonprofits, the company recently announced.
The Cereal Drive works to help those struggling with hunger and to promote the importance of eating a healthy breakfast, especially for children who lose access to school-based nutrition programs during the summer months.
The 2019 drive took place from June 7 to June 14 across Tenet’s acute care hospitals, outpatient centers, call centers, and corporate offices, as well as with non-Tenet participating hospitals and companies.
In addition, General Mills, a leading global food company, donated over 1,400 boxes of cereal to Tenet in support of the families it serves in communities around the country. The donation includes cereal from several different General Mills’ cereal brands, such as Honey Nut Cheerios, Wheaties, and Chex.
“Every day, our caregivers and supporting colleagues work hard to improve the health and well-being of our neighbors and ultimately save lives, and we are deeply grateful for their efforts,” said Ron Rittenmeyer, executive chairman and CEO of Tenet. “We are inspired by their compassion and energized by their unfaltering commitment to not only fight hunger but support numerous initiatives to foster healthier communities. We also want to thank General Mills and other supporting community partners for rallying behind this very important initiative.”
The Cereal Drive was launched in Detroit in 2010 by Pam Taurence, a nurse at Detroit Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital of Michigan, and the DMC Professional Nurse Council.
Tenet expanded the drive nationally in 2014 after Detroit Medical Center became part of the Tenet system. Since 2014, more than 19 million servings of cereal and approximately $1,165,000 have been donated to benefit thousands of children and others struggling with the effects of hunger.
“We are thrilled to take part in this special program to fight hunger in our communities, and we applaud Tenet for championing this effort,” said Scott Baldwin, General Mills marketing director. “This is a cause that is very important to us as an organization as we aim to build strong, resilient and sustainable communities. We look forward to continuing to lend our support to like-minded organizations like Tenet who share our commitment to helping those in need.”
