St. Elizabeth Physicians collected and donated supplies to the local nonprofit, GO Pantry, to help children in the community stave off hunger this summer.
SEP’s goal was to supply GO Pantry with enough food to fill more than 200 boxes – of the 1,000 the group needs to support Northern Kentucky children through the summer months – and instead ended up donating 525 boxes and over $5,000 in monetary donations.
“St. Elizabeth Physicians is proud to support such an important cause,” said Jacob Bast, Senior Vice President and COO of St. Elizabeth Physicians.
“We set out to do more than a food drive. We wanted to right a wrong, and what could be more wrong than children that go hungry? GO Pantry has such a positive impact on the happiness and health of our community. We are very excited to get behind this initiative.”
GO Pantry, a nonprofit organization made up entirely of volunteers, provides food to Boone County children who do not have enough to eat at home. According to the organization’s website, $250 is needed to sponsor one child for 10 weeks during summer.
“Because of organizations like St. Elizabeth Physicians, we are able to keep more kids from going hungry this summer, and that’s awesome,” said Beth McIntire, director of GO Pantry.
All of the kids who receive food as part of the GO BOXES program (summer food boxes), qualify for “free or reduced” meals every day at school, but often go without food at dinner and on the weekends. Once school is out for the summer, they may have little to no access to food on a daily basis.
“When you set out to donate 200 boxes and end up exceeding that by 325, you have to sit back and thank the amazing people who work at St. Elizabeth,” said Dr. Chanti Flanagan, a hospitalist with St. Elizabeth Physicians who served as the physician champion for the drive.
“It’s because of their commitment to this community that these children can go to bed without worrying about where breakfast will come from.”
If you are interested in volunteering or donating, visit the website or call (859) 760-6480. The group also accepts various food items at locations throughout the community.