MANCHESTER, NH – More than 100 volunteers from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, and Eastern Bank joined City Year New Hampshire for Harvard Pilgrim’s 8th Annual Day of Service at the NH Food Bank’s Production Garden on North River Road in Manchester.
Volunteers helped plant vegetable seeds and flowers in the garden and build a garden shed and small container vegetable gardens for CareGivers, Inc.’s homebound seniors. In addition, 50 students from Hallsville Elementary School joined the volunteers to plant in the garden, play fitness games with the NH Fisher Cats, and participate in healthy cooking demonstrations by chefs from Great NH Restaurants.
“Working with the NH Food Bank to plant their production garden aligns with Harvard Pilgrim’s initiatives to improve access to fresh healthy food in our region,” said William Brewster, MD, Vice President and Regional Market Leader of New Hampshire for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. “We are very proud of our ongoing relationship with City Year New Hampshire and their enthusiasm and dedication to improving the Manchester community.”
Harvard Pilgrim collaborated this year with Dartmouth-Hitchcock, one of its partners in Elevate Health, a health insurance plan for N.H. residents focused on a team-based approach to quality health care.
“As we work to create a sustainable health system to improve the lives of the people and communities we serve for generations to come, partnerships with community-focused companies such as Harvard Pilgrim are essential,” said Dr. James N. Weinstein, CEO and President of Dartmouth-Hitchcock. “Together, we can make our communities healthier and better places to live.”
Volunteers wrapped up the service day with a barbeque lunch provided by Great NH Restaurants and a visit from Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas during the closing ceremony.
“On behalf of the City of Manchester I would like to thank Harvard Pilgrim, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, and City Year for working together to make a difference in our community, and help the NH Food Bank grow and distribute fresh produce throughout the summer to New Hampshire families in need,” said Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas.
Community Service Days in New Hampshire are part of Harvard Pilgrim’s corporate commitment to the state. In 2015, Harvard Pilgrim’s charitable giving and service in the region totaled $2.3 million and staff volunteered more than 3,750 hours within the local communities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. In addition, Harvard Pilgrim co-sponsors a team of City Year AmeriCorps members serving at the Beech Street Elementary School.
About The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation
Created in 1980, The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation supports Harvard Pilgrim’s mission to improve the quality and value of health care for the people and communities it serves by providing the tools, training and leadership to help build healthy communities throughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed more than $135 million in funds and resources. In 2015, the Harvard Pilgrim Foundation awarded nearly $2.3 million in grants to 700 nonprofit organizations across the region. For more information, please visit www.harvardpilgrim.org/foundation.
About City Year:
City Year is an education focused AmeriCorps program that unites young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time, team based service to keep students in school and on track to graduate successfully. Evidence-based research has determined the early-warning indicators allowing us to identify the students likely to drop out of school. By focusing on students’ ABCs – Attendance, Behavior and Course performance in math and English, City Year corps members (working in partnership with teachers) serve as tutors, mentors and role models who are uniquely able to help students and schools succeed. For more information, please visit www.cityyear.org.
About Dartmouth-Hitchcock:
Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H) is a nonprofit academic health system that serves a population of 1.9 million in New England. Anchored by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, the system includes the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, one of only 45 Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation; the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock; affiliate hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, and New London, NH, and Windsor, VT; and 24 Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinics that provide ambulatory services across New Hampshire and Vermont. D-H provides access to more than 1,000 primary care doctors and specialists in almost every area of medicine. In partnership with the Audrey and Theodor Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT, it trains nearly 400 residents and fellows annually, and performs world-class research. For more information, please visit www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org.
