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UnitedHealthcare Awards $150,000 in Grants to Help Advance Food Security in Florida CommunitiesUnitedHealthcare today awarded grants totaling $150,000 to five community organizations focused on expanding access to nutritional foods for Florida families and children. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180123006579/en/ Michael Lawton, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Florida, announces that UnitedHealthcare is awarding $150,000 in grants to five partner organizations around the state to fight hunger and help make families more food secure during Children's Week at the Florida Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018. L to R: Lori Richards, Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry; Lawton; Robin Safley, Feeding Florida (Photo: Lily Chanta). According to Feeding Florida, 3.3 million Floridians, including 1.1 million children, are food insecure. The grant recipients, each of which have received $30,000, will help families in North, Central and South Florida with community- and school-based programs that include mobile food pantries, learning gardens, farmer's market access, and meal budgeting, planning and cooking demonstrations.
Lawton introduced the grant recipients at the state Capitol during Florida's annual Children's Week. Children's Week is held during the Florida legislative session that raises awareness for access to education and health care, affordable childcare, nutrition and other childhood issues. Dave Green, CEO of Feeding Children Everywhere, said many Floridians struggle to feed their families three meals a day, while others do not have access to fresh produce. "They, instead, fill that void with low-nutrition, high-calorie products. In collaboration with partners like UnitedHealthcare, we are reaching out to families in need - whether it's fighting hunger today or preventing obesity in the future." According to 2017 America's Health Rankings, Florida ranks No. 14 in the nation for obesity. Nearly 28 percent of adults in Florida are considered obese. "Getting children off to a solid start by providing them with nutritious foods will go a long way toward improving their health and quality of life," Lawton said. "UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to support these organizations, each with a unique approach to tackling hunger and helping families put nourishing food on their tables."
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