Press Releases: 2011

Health Plan Donates Funds to Support Hungry Families in Central Pennsylvania

AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan contributes $1,700 from employee raised funds

AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan presented a $1,700 check to Kendall Hanna, Executive Director, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, to help aid in the fight against hunger. AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan, a member of the AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies, is a Medical Assistance managed care plan serving members in central and northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Food Bank was chosen as the health plan's 2010 Charity of the Year. The funds to support this annual campaign are raised each year by employees of the health plan. A year of fundraising activities was held culminating with a silent auction in December.

"Each year, the associates from AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan recommend several charities that they would like to support," said Marge Angello, RN, Executive Director, AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan. "All of the employees vote on each suggestion and last year the Food Bank was selected. We have a variety of fundraising activities throughout the year including a silent auction held each December. Our associates truly believe that this is a tangible way to demonstrate their strong connection to our mission and look forward to supporting this initiative each year."

Hanna was presented with a "big check" and an actual check for $1,700 by Tia Whitaker, Retention Supervisor and Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Manager, Community Affairs, AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan.

"As we continue to see more families in our neighborhoods struggling, community partners like AmeriHealth Mercy enable us to fulfill our mission of fighting hunger, improving lives and strengthening communities," said Kendall Hanna, Executive Director of the Central PA Food Bank. "The donation made by the associates of AmeriHealth Mercy will help ensure that hungry families in our communities have nutritious food on their tables."

Food pantries across central Pennsylvania counties benefit from contributions to the food bank. Soup kitchens, shelters and food pantries receive more than 15 million pounds of food and grocery products each year. These donations help to feed thousands of hungry families in Central Pennsylvania.

About Central Pennsylvania Food Bank

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is a non-profit organization that is able to reduce hunger in 27 counties across Pennsylvania, by working with more than 600 program partners to provide food to nearly 40,000 people in need every week. For more information on the Food Bank and its mission to reduce hunger in Pennsylvania, visit www.centralpafoodbank.org.

Tia Whitaker, Kendall Hanna, Robert E. Cooper, Jr.

About AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan

AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan, a member of the AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies, is a Medical Assistance (Medicaid) managed care health plan serving more than 107,000 Medical Assistance recipients in 15 counties of central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan is a mission-driven company dedicated to helping members get care, stay well, and build healthy communities. For more information, go to www.amerihealthmercyhp.com. 

For more information, contact AmeriHealth Mercy at 215-937-8648.