Press Releases: Southern California
January 12, 2006
King Holiday Sparks Community Volunteerism
Kaiser Permanente employees participate
in food drive and day of service
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" - Martin Luther King Jr.
PASADENA, Calif. – In his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged people to strengthen communities through service and use their resources to feed the hungry. In honor and recognition of Dr. King, Kaiser Permanente has established an annual Day of Service on his Holiday, this Monday, January 16, 2006.
WHO: |
Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians throughout California will be volunteering to help local area food banks. |
WHAT: |
Volunteers will be sorting donations received from a weeklong company food drive and assembling 4,000 hygiene packs. (Activities will vary by facility.) |
WHEN: |
Monday, January 16, 2006 all day long; 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. Day of Service Employee Lunch Program featuring {insert info from Dena} |
WHERE: |
Kaiser Permanente, Regional Offices, 393 E Walnut Street, Pasadena CA 91188 and at all Kaiser Permanente Southern California medical centers. |
LIVE Shot and Photo OP's: |
Dozens of volunteers to package hundreds of pounds of canned goods, assemble personal hygiene packs and put together after school power packs. |
"We ask that members of the community follow in Kaiser Permanente's efforts and use the Martin Luther King Holiday to sign-up and volunteer at their local non-profits, shelters, schools, hospitals, senior centers, and churches," said Rhonda Tribble, Manager, Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Diversity Program.
Some of the facts:- Today in Los Angeles, 14.8 percent of households, a total of 1.4 million people don't know where their next meal will come from.
- Over the last year, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has had a 12% decrease in food supply.
- One out of every ten people in Los Angeles County is at risk of hunger.
- Hunger in Los Angeles County affects over 200,000 low-income adults, while another 560,000 are at risk
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program with Southern California headquarters in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.3 million members in Southern California. Today it encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region includes more than 49,900 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 6,000 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at kaiserpermanente.org.
