Geisinger receives AGAPE’s Diamond Donor award
The AGAPE ministry recognized Geisinger as a Diamond Donor for its contributions to the charity’s community work in 2017.
AGAPE, based in Bloomsburg, started in 2009 and serves people in Columbia and Montour counties with a variety of community services.
Geisinger was among 33 organizations, businesses and volunteers presented with AGAPE’s Diamond Donor award on March 23, 2018.
Katrina Conrad, wellness specialist, is part of the team that works with school and community programs to provide healthy options to children in need. She said Geisinger partnered with AGAPE because they share the same mission – to combat housing insecurity, transportation issues, food insecurity and childhood obesity.
Last year, Geisinger provided the ministry with funding to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables and canned meats for their backpack and school pantry program. They also provided funding towards refrigeration units to store the fresh food. This allowed AGAPE to buy additional fresh food and distribute them more often.
“We want to sincerely thank AGAPE for all the work they do to help our communities live healthier lives,” Allison Hess, associate vice president of health and wellness at Geisinger, said. “We really appreciate your efforts to ensure the backpack program is able to offer fresh and healthy food for the children you serve.”
AGAPE, with support from its Diamond Donors, was able to do the following in 2017:
- Distribute 1,348,371 pounds of food
- Serve 92 homeless individuals
- Provide 8,241 meals
- Distribute 35,259 pounds of clothing
- Provide $101,266.77 in financial assistance
- Contribute 31,674 volunteer hours
- Distribute 28,557 meal backpacks to school children
- Provide $2,311,416.06 in total assistance to the community
