New York 4-H and UnitedHealthcare Expand Partnership to Fight Hunger
BINGHAMTON - UnitedHealthcare and the 4-H Youth Development Program at Cornell University are expanding their partnership to fight hunger and food insecurity by promoting budgeting and nutrition education in underserved communities with the “4-H Food Smart Families” program.
UnitedHealthcare has donated $55,000 to the Cornell University Cooperative Extension, which administers 4-H programs throughout the state, to support the “4-H Food Smart Families” program. 4-H Food Smart Families empowers families with nutrition education, and cooking and food-budgeting skills to bring more affordable, nutritious foods into their households, and connects families with nutrition assistance through SNAP benefits.
The expanded partnership was announced at Roosevelt Elementary School in Binghamton, where more than 30 students led by 4-H-trained Choose Health Action Teens (CHATS), community leaders and UnitedHealthcare mascot Dr. Health E. Hound participated in training sessions to learn more about food – how to secure it, use it and cook it, and make choices that enhance their health and well-being. During the training, 4-H CHATS youth leaders were challenged in the 4-H Food Smart Families Shopping Experience, where they were asked to shop and make choices based on budget, nutrition, price per unit and meal preparation.
“The 4-H and UnitedHealthcare partnership is stronger than ever,” said Nigel Gannon, New York Healthy Living program specialist. “Through the 4-H Food Smart Families program we are working together to provide the tools and resources these families need to help end the cycle of hunger.”
Throughout New York, 4-H Food Smart Families will engage 4-H CHATS to serve as youth ambassadors and mentors to teach their peers, families and communities about how to prepare healthy meals on a budget.
Since July, 2015, the 4-H Food Smart Families program at Cornell University has engaged 1,388 youth and 7,305 of their family members. Program goals include educating youth on the importance of eating more vegetables and fruit; drinking more water; choosing healthier snacks; eating breakfast; teaching their families how to buy and prepare healthier, affordable foods on a budget; and practicing food-safety principles for food preparation and preservation.
“UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to work with 4-H to help provide a sustainable solution to childhood hunger,” said Pat Celli, CEO of the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New York.“This partnership is laying a foundation that will help kids and their families create healthy habits that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.”
UnitedHealthcare employees will help organize and host many of the 4-H Food Smart Family events and help implement projects that lead to positive, sustainable change at the community and individual level. UnitedHealthcare’s $55,000 grant is part of a $1 million initiative funded by UnitedHealthcare this year in partnership with the National 4-H Council to support youth healthy-living programs. In addition to New York, other state 4-H programs receiving grants include Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee and Wisconsin. This partnership will provide 4-H’ers skills and resources to promote healthy choices to families in the communities that need it most.
Since 2011, UnitedHealthcare has provided nearly $4 million to support 4-H programs in 13 states including its Eat4-Health program, which has reached 230,000 young people and families through a campaign that trained thousands of 4-H youth health ambassadors to promote healthy lifestyles in their communities.
Recent studies conducted by the USDA show that more than 49 million Americans, nearly 16 million of whom are children, suffer from hunger. Studies show that school-aged children who experience severe hunger are at increased risk for homelessness, obesity, chronic health conditions, stressful life conditions, depression, anxiety, withdrawal and poor self-esteem.
UnitedHealthcare serves more than 4 million people in New York with a network of 256 hospitals and more than 78,000 physicians and other care providers statewide.
UnitedHealthcare has donated $55,000 to the Cornell University Cooperative Extension, which administers 4-H programs throughout the state, to support the “4-H Food Smart Families” program. 4-H Food Smart Families empowers families with nutrition education, and cooking and food-budgeting skills to bring more affordable, nutritious foods into their households, and connects families with nutrition assistance through SNAP benefits.
The expanded partnership was announced at Roosevelt Elementary School in Binghamton, where more than 30 students led by 4-H-trained Choose Health Action Teens (CHATS), community leaders and UnitedHealthcare mascot Dr. Health E. Hound participated in training sessions to learn more about food – how to secure it, use it and cook it, and make choices that enhance their health and well-being. During the training, 4-H CHATS youth leaders were challenged in the 4-H Food Smart Families Shopping Experience, where they were asked to shop and make choices based on budget, nutrition, price per unit and meal preparation.
“The 4-H and UnitedHealthcare partnership is stronger than ever,” said Nigel Gannon, New York Healthy Living program specialist. “Through the 4-H Food Smart Families program we are working together to provide the tools and resources these families need to help end the cycle of hunger.”
Throughout New York, 4-H Food Smart Families will engage 4-H CHATS to serve as youth ambassadors and mentors to teach their peers, families and communities about how to prepare healthy meals on a budget.
Since July, 2015, the 4-H Food Smart Families program at Cornell University has engaged 1,388 youth and 7,305 of their family members. Program goals include educating youth on the importance of eating more vegetables and fruit; drinking more water; choosing healthier snacks; eating breakfast; teaching their families how to buy and prepare healthier, affordable foods on a budget; and practicing food-safety principles for food preparation and preservation.
“UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to work with 4-H to help provide a sustainable solution to childhood hunger,” said Pat Celli, CEO of the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New York.“This partnership is laying a foundation that will help kids and their families create healthy habits that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.”
UnitedHealthcare employees will help organize and host many of the 4-H Food Smart Family events and help implement projects that lead to positive, sustainable change at the community and individual level. UnitedHealthcare’s $55,000 grant is part of a $1 million initiative funded by UnitedHealthcare this year in partnership with the National 4-H Council to support youth healthy-living programs. In addition to New York, other state 4-H programs receiving grants include Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee and Wisconsin. This partnership will provide 4-H’ers skills and resources to promote healthy choices to families in the communities that need it most.
Since 2011, UnitedHealthcare has provided nearly $4 million to support 4-H programs in 13 states including its Eat4-Health program, which has reached 230,000 young people and families through a campaign that trained thousands of 4-H youth health ambassadors to promote healthy lifestyles in their communities.
Recent studies conducted by the USDA show that more than 49 million Americans, nearly 16 million of whom are children, suffer from hunger. Studies show that school-aged children who experience severe hunger are at increased risk for homelessness, obesity, chronic health conditions, stressful life conditions, depression, anxiety, withdrawal and poor self-esteem.
UnitedHealthcare serves more than 4 million people in New York with a network of 256 hospitals and more than 78,000 physicians and other care providers statewide.
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