Cereal drive success: Nacogdoches Medical Center collects hundreds of pounds of cereal and dollars for East Texas community

Hospital’s Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive succeeds in helping feed hungry

Pictured L-R with cereal donations at NMC are Jeff Patterson, CEO; Teresa Farrell, chief HR officer; Jennifer Sowell, executive assistant; and Leighanne Carver, community relations manager, for Nacogdoches Medical Center (NMC).

Nacogdoches, Texas, June 14, 2022 – Nacogdoches Medical Center is pleased to announce that its staff has collected more than 270 pounds of cereal and $400 in monetary donations for the Nacogdoches Hope Food Pantry. The hospital collected donations during its annual Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive, which ran this year from June 6-10, 2022.

“The donations we collected during our ‘Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive’ will help provide local children and adults struggling with hunger with a healthy breakfast during the summer, and I am so grateful for the support of our staff and community in this effort,” said Jeff Patterson, Nacogdoches Medical Center CEO. “Good nutrition is essential to good health, and we’re proud to help lead the fight against hunger in our deep East Texas community. For every $1 collected, the food bank can provide seven meals,” Patterson said. Summer is a particularly tough time for many food-insecure families because children can no longer rely on schools for nutritious meals putting an added burden on these families.

“In East Texas, food insecurity has grown to affect 1 in every 3 individuals. At Nacogdoches Medical Center, we understand that children face many health issues from hunger and poor nutrition,” Patterson added. “This past few years have been particularly devastating for families struggling with hunger, as the COVID-19 pandemic and nation-wide supply chain issues compounded extreme food shortages in many communities. Food banks in Texas are also struggling to keep up with supplies,” he said.

Pictured L-R with cereal donations at NMC are Jeff Patterson, CEO, and for Nacogdoches Medical Center (NMC) and Miguel Loa, NMC Plant Operations.

Patterson commended members of the Nacogdoches community who took time to join hospital staff in dropping off cereal boxes and donating to the drive. Texas as a whole ranks second in the nation for food insecurity with 1 in 6 living in food insecure homes. Among those served by food banks, 35 percent are children. An additional 25 percent had to choose between food and medical services. Another 46 percent are employed and still can’t afford food, and 67 percent are living below the poverty line.

“We are so proud of our hospital staff and Nacogdoches community for coming together to help so many in our community struggling with food insecurity,” Patterson said. “It’s a true testament to their generosity and caring for the community in which they live and serve. We look forward to continuing this tradition,” he said.