Nationwide celebrated the completion of a two year employee health challenge today with a $100,000 donation to Feeding America's National produce Program. In 2010, Nationwide employees were challenged to enhance their participation in the company's My Health corporate wellness program. In return for voluntarily hitting three primary goals, the company pledged to donate $100,000 to support the fight against hunger.
Nationwide employees and their spouses were challenged to increase participation in health assessments and wellness activities and improve aggregate levels for cholesterol, blood pressure and weight.
"This program was a win for everyone involved," said Kathleen Herath, associate vice president of Health and Productivity for Nationwide."It's not surprising that Nationwide's culture of caring was motivated by the opportunity to support a program that provides healthy food for families in need. As a result of the Feeding America Challenge, many Nationwide associates experienced a reduction in blood pressure, cholesterol and weight. After hitting all three of these critical milestones, we have a healthier and more productive workforce that deserves credit for making a difference, not only in their own lives, but the lives of others."
Clients of Feeding America member food banks and their partner agencies are often unable to access or afford the variety and quantity of nutritious foods needed for a healthy diet. The Feeding America network of more than 200 member food banks has created a strong foundation geared towards getting wholesome staples to the 37 million people they serve each year. The $100,000 from Nationwide will help secure about 9.3 million servings of produce, which translates to about 2.5 million meals for families in need.
"We are happy to be partnering with Nationwide on this important campaign to help bring nutritious and fresh produce to the millions of families who have raised their hand looking for help during these difficult times," said Bob Aiken, President and CEO of Feeding America, the nation's leading anti-hunger organization. "We are thankful for the generosity of Nationwide because we know that fighting hunger is something that we can't do alone."
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About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.3 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Nationwide
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's. The company provides customers a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, pet, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and specialty health services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.
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