Griffin Hospital Celebrates 100 Years by Giving Back! |
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Valley Food Banks and Pantries Received Gift of 1,649 Cases of Food
Click here for photo album. (Photos by Fred Ortoli)
Griffin Hospital employees not only donated 1,649 cases (27,900 cans, jars, packages) of food to the area food banks and pantries, they spent their morning loading and unloading delivery trucks to ensure the rapid delivery of the items. The groups that benefitted from the donation include: Area Congregations Together, St. Vincent DePaul, Salvation Army, Lower Naugatuck Valley Red Cross, Seymour/Oxford Food Bank at Trinity Church, Parent Child Resource Center and the Birmingham Group.
The food was delivered by tractor trailer in one shipment by Bozzuto’s Inc., a wholesale distributor of food to retailers throughout the Basement Systems generously donated the use of their warehouse and equipment in Seymour on Thursday April 16th. The delivery truck was greeted by about 60 Griffin employees including CEO Patrick Charmel and another 30 volunteers from the food banks who also assisted with the delivery and distribution.
Over the last nine years Griffin Hospital has held a celebration to recognize its selection by FORTUNE magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For in America” and to thank hospital employees, physicians and volunteers for creating a culture of exceptional care and mutual respect and support that has made Griffin a great place to work and receive care. Griffin is the only hospital in the country to be named to the FORTUNE list for ten years.
As part of past celebrations the hospital provided it’s more
than 1,500 Griffin care givers with a recognition gift. This year employees
after being named to the FORTUNE list for an unprecedented 10th time encouraged
hospital management to use the money normally spent on a gift to help the
growing number of community residents in need. Specifically, employees suggested
that the hospital purchase food to refresh the dwindling inventory of the
community’s food banks, food pantries and the Spooner House homeless shelter.
Griffin used its business relationship with Topco Associates, a purchasing cooperative owned by more than thirty independent
supermarket chains across the country to
purchase private label products at wholesale prices increasing the amount of
food to be donated. Topco member stores in Connecticut include Price Chopper,
Big Y and IGA supermarkets. Topco added to the shipment with a donation of their Full Circle brand of
natural and organic offerings sold at their member supermarkets.
Griffin is celebrating its 100th anniversary during 2009.
“The theme of Griffin’s 100th anniversary commemoration is “A
Century of Caring for Our Community”,
said Griffin President Patrick Charmel. “This gift is consistent with that
theme, exemplifies our organizational values, and demonstrates the care and
concern of our employees for the members of the community we serve experiencing
hardship due to the deepening recession. I am proud to be part of the family of
care givers that are willing to make sacrifices to make a positive difference in
the life of others,” Charmel said.
Valley United Way President Jack Walsh who coordinated the effort with the food banks and identified their food pantry needs said: “The Valley’s food banks are seeing record requests for food assistance and at times have had a waiting list. Last year the Valley’s food banks provided 144,872 meals to 282 families and 9,865 people and as unemployment continues to increase and the job market worsens demand swells. This donation is timely as it will replenish the food banks depleted as a result of food provided to those in need for the Easter Holiday. It will ease the hardship of and provide comfort to many. Griffin’s employees should be applauded and thanked for their thoughtful, selfless act of kindness that will greatly benefit their neighbors in need,” said Walsh.
Walsh also commended the agencies who have been working together over the past few months to find solutions for the growing need for food in the Valley. He said, "Working out the logistics of this donation required the cooperation and willingness to share that is a hallmark of the Valley nonprofit community. Hundreds of people in our community will benefit directly during the coming months".
