Baptist donated canned goods and $9,550 to the Mid-South Food Bank at the National Civil Rights Museum on Monday, Jan. 16, during Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. President and CEO Jason Little, along with Baptist senior leaders and team members, presented the check during a morning event.
Of the donation, $8,750 was designated for the Diabetes Nutrition Care program, a Mid-South Food Bank initiative aimed at improving the health of diabetics in the Mid-South. Thanks to all the canned goods and money donated by Baptist and its team members, the Mid-South Food Bank can provide 34,299 meals to the hungry.
“Today is a great day to make these donations,” said James Huffman, administrator and CEO of Baptist DeSoto and chair of the Mid-South Food Bank. “This holiday encourages community service and taking action to help others. Through this donation, Baptist will help provide immediate relief to those who suffer from hunger or food insecurity, and long-term assistance to newly diagnosed and chronic diabetes patients.”
The diabetes rate in Memphis is more than 12 percent, higher than the national average of 8.3 percent. The Diabetes Nutrition Care program is a pilot program designed to help those diagnosed with diabetes manage their disease, prevent hospital readmissions, delay complications and prevent a decline in health status through a three-day supply of diabetic food items, shopping lists, menus and recipes.
