District funds Backpack Program

Thursday, February 18, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Tim O?Bayley, O?Bayley Communications, 760/778-3525 tim@obayley.net or
Donna Craig, Chief Program Officer, Desert Healthcare District, 760/323-6700
DESERT HEALTHCARE DISTRICT TO FUND BRIDGES OF HOPE'S WEEKEND
BACKPACK PROGRAM
$38,000 Grant To Provide Weekend Meals for 81 Local Children
PALM SPRINGS, CA - FEBRUARY 18, 2010: Desert Healthcare District has approved a grant for $38,743 to fund a program that will provide weekend meals for 81 school children enrolled in the YMCA's "Y Be Fit" after school program in Desert Hot Springs. Bridges of Hope, the recipient of the grant and a local nonprofit organization, will utilize the funding to provide insulated backpacks with 7
meals to meet the nutritional needs of low-income students at three elementary schools.
"There have been numerous studies that showed these children were only having one meal over the course of the weekend, which is staggering," said Betty Fernandez, Executive Director of Bridges of Hope.
"With the District's help, we're expanding our weekend backpack program to include more students at these elementary schools in Desert Hot Springs. The backpacks will be filled and distributed out of the new facility at the Senior Center."
The backpack project supports students involved in the local YMCA's "Y Be Fit" program, an after-school exercise and dietary program designed to teach students the value of being healthy. The backpacks are filled with 7 complete healthy meals, including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks for Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. The children then return the backpacks on Monday.
Desert Healthcare District is a government agency, established by the state of California in 1948, to improve and support community health programs within a 457-square mile service area in the Coachella Valley. The District also owns and oversees the lease of Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.
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