Community Medical Center Food Drive Surpasses 125,000 Pounds of Food Donated to Area Food Banks

Toms River, July 15, 2014 - For the past eight years, Community Medical Center employees and members of the Medical Staff have collected and donated food for local food pantries through Health Care Harvest, the hospital’s annual summer food drive.

This year, the staff surpassed the 125,000-pound benchmark, collecting an eight-year cumulative total of 125,289 pounds of food, 18,243 pounds of which was collected this year.

The food drive was founded by and has been run by Tom Yanisko, Administrative Director, Hospitality Services at Community Medical Center. “We plan the food drive to coincide with the end of the school year, since free breakfast and lunch programs are no longer available and we don’t want any child to go hungry,” said Yanisko. “Making healthy food available is important to establishing healthy eating habits for children.”

Departments within the hospital compete amongst themselves to collect the most food. This year the Emergency Department staff donated 3,884 pounds of food, surpassing the amount of food they donated in prior years. The Finance Department collected the most food per person, averaging 130 pounds of food donated by each employee and the Medical Staff donated $5000 in support of the food drive.

The food was donated to Ocean County Hunger Relief, Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties and Morning Star Presbyterian Church of Bayville.

Health Care Harvest is one of many programs Community Medical Center employees take part in as a way to give back to the community they serve. “Our staff is incredibly generous and supportive of the people who live in Ocean County. Our goal is to keep the community healthy, and participating in the food drive is just another way to accomplish that,” said Stephanie Bloom, FACHE, president and chief executive officer, Community Medical Center.

Other ‘give back’ programs the hospital staff have participated in include a Tools for School backpack and schools supplies drive, a Holiday Toy Drive and partnering with the American Littoral Society to create a cleaner Barnegat Bay.

About Community Medical Center: 
Opened in 1961, Community Medical Center (CMC) is a fully accredited acute care hospital and offers a comprehensive array of services including advanced cancer care, sophisticated neurology and neurosurgery services including a neuro-interventional lab with a bi-plane, a level 3 Epilepsy Program, and cardiac care featuring three cardiac catheterization labs. CMC’s surgical service features the latest generation daVinci Si robotic surgical platform, the only program in Ocean County. The hospital’s commitment to technology is evidenced by access to advanced radiologic technology and one of the most sophisticated linear accelerators used for radiation therapy and a CyberKnife for treating inoperable tumors. As one of the area’s most trusted providers of maternal and children’s services, superior obstetric care, a Level 2 special care nursery with 24/7 on site neonatologists for newborns requiring special care, a dedicated pediatric unit and a pediatrician in the Emergency Department are provided.