(SANTA CLARA, CA – June 22, 2010) — SCAN Health Plan has furthered its longstanding commitment to healthy, independent aging with financial contributions to two local nonprofit organizations that support senior nutrition –Health Trust Meals On Wheels, which received $10,000 from SCAN, and Second Harvest Food Bank, which received $5,000. The local donations are part of SCAN’s ongoing commitment to supporting seniors in the communities it serves.
“Significant decreases in state and federal funding have created financial shortfalls for many community-based organizations,” said David Schmidt, CEO of SCAN, a senior-focused not-for-profit health plan. “At SCAN we feel strongly about ensuring that critically important resources remain open and available to seniors who rely on them, especially for something as basic as a warm meal.”
SCAN’s community giving program is focused on helping to meet immediate needs – and close gaps – in community services. Funding is provided to community-based, nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to seniors, particularly those providing basic human needs such as food.
To date SCAN has donated $85,000 to organizations supporting senior nutrition across California. In 2009 SCAN launched this outreach effort by donating approximately $385,000 to 44 not-for-profit, community-based organizations statewide. The majority of these contributions focused on senior nutrition, with dollars also going toward long-term care and caregiver programs.
The Health Trust Meals On Wheels program provides nutritious meals home delivered daily to physically challenged, homebound individuals, whether they are elderly, are recuperating after a recent hospitalization, or have disabilities confining them to a wheelchair. The program helps meet the growing needs of Santa Clara County’s aging population. "We are thrilled to receive this much-needed support for our clients," said Renee Kellythorne, director of Health Trust Meals On Wheels.
Second Harvest Food Bank is the primary source of donated, surplus and purchased food for nonprofit agencies in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. “This donation will provide nutritious food to the more than 9,000 senior households in our Brown Bag program,” said Second Harvest’s CEO Kathy Jackson. “We are extremely grateful for SCAN Health Plan’s support, which allows us to take at least some of the burden off our elderly population.”
SCAN’s community giving program is part of the health plan’s larger community outreach efforts, which also include the SCAN Van mobile resource center for seniors and caregivers launched earlier this year, SCAN’s “Trading Ages” senior sensitivity program, the SCAN Resource Centers in California and Arizona, and many other initiatives.
“The growth of the older adult population is impacting communities and families all across America,” said Schmidt. “There has never been a greater need to support community organizations through meaningful and purposeful giving.”
For more than 30 years, SCAN Health Plan has been focusing on the unique needs of seniors and is now the country’s fourth largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage plan. The company currently has nearly 130,000 members in California and Arizona. Further information may be obtained at scanhealthplan.com.