The Molina Cares Accord (“MolinaCares”), in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of Mississippi (“Molina”), is donating $50,000 to deploy dedicated food and nutrition educators in 12 Delta-area schools through its partnership with FoodCorps.
“We know Mississippians living in the Delta region face many barriers to healthy living,” said Bridget Galatas, plan president of Molina Healthcare of Mississippi. “Teaching kids about nutrition early is critical to setting them on a path to health and wellness, and we’re committed to this goal.”
MolinaCares is funding evidence-based lessons teaching kids how to make healthier choices every day. FoodCorps educators will support the creation of school gardens where fruits and vegetables will be planted for the students to tend and eventually consume. The program also includes hands-on lessons on simple and healthy meal preparation to help establish beneficial eating habits to last a lifetime. The program is projected to reach 2,500 children through 400 nutrition education lessons.
“We want to ensure the children in our local communities have access to healthy meals that will help them learn, grow, and succeed,” said Curt Ellis, co-founder and chief executive officer of FoodCorps. “We’re so grateful to MolinaCares for the generous donation that will help support these critical endeavors.”
The grant to FoodCorps is part of a larger initiative launched by MolinaCares in the Mississippi Delta region earlier this year to expand Mississippians’ access to healthy food.
