7 6 Enterprise “Fills the Tank” for Hunger Relief The Greater Boston Food Bank recently received an $89,000 donation from the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation to help families struggling with hunger across Eastern Massachusetts. The donation is part of a program called “Fill Your Tank” that celebrates Enterprise’s 60th anniversary by providing $60 million to fight hun- ger around the globe. This was the first of the six-year effort. “Enterprise Rent-A-Car is woven into the fabric of the Greater Boston and Eastern Massachusetts community, and food insecurity is an issue for our community,” said Brian Duffy, Enterprise vice president and general manager. “This donation to The Greater Boston Food Bank will support those in our community who need a little help to reach their full potential.” The Fill Your Tank program includes a hunger awareness campaign featuring stories about what is possible when people are “running on a full tank” – that is, when they have enough to eat. "This generous gift will enable us to provide 267,000 healthy meals to those in need," said Suzanne Battit, vice president of external affairs and advancement of The Greater Boston Food Bank. "We thank Enterprise Rent-A-Car for its commit- ment to our community." “This donation is enormous for us, and The Greater Boston Food Bank was the obvious choice,” said Carolyn Murphy, human resources manager with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. DONOR SPOTLIGHT Enterprise Rent-A-Car employees volunteer at GBFB. LATEST NEWS The Greater Boston Food Bank’s Partners for Impact program honors 140 local businesses that not only provide generous financial support, but also work with us in a variety of ways to build healthier, stronger communities. As part of our Partners for Impact program, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is committed to helping us end hunger here. Each of our Partners for Impact members takes its own approach to engaging and partnering with us: • Program and Event Sponsorship • Employee Giving and Matching Gifts • Cause Marketing Campaigns • Volunteerism • In-kind Support A New Partnership Connecting Hunger and Health Photos courtesy of Dr. Dave Weed, Partners for a Healthier Community The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) launched its third partner- ship with a community health cen- ter in March, offering an on-site, free produce Mobile Market as part of its health and research program aimed at serving communities with high levels of food insecurity. Our newest partner, SSTAR Fam- ily Health Care Center in Fall River, served more than 120 households, with a potential reach of 347 people, on its first day. Each Mobile Market participant took home 25-30 pounds of free, fresh fruits and vegetables. Last November, GBFB and SSTAR staff conducted a one-day food inse- curity screening of nearly 700 people visiting SSTAR’s addiction clinic. Un- fortunately, 59 percent (about six times the state level) screened positive for food insecurity, defined by the U. S. Department of Agriculture as a lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. “We had the sense that this was an issue with our patients, and it’s been helpful to actually have the data show- ing it is that high,” said Paula Beaulieu, project director of SSTAR’s Health In- tegration Project and director of the Mobile Market. Medical research shows that adults struggling with food insecurity are more likely to report poor physical and mental health, and have higher risks for chronic diseases like diabe- tes, hypertension, and depression. The health-related costs attributable to food insecurity and hunger in the U.S. were estimated to be $160 billion in 2014 alone, according to a report for the Bread for the World Institute conducted by John T. Cook, Ph.D., and Ana Poblacion, MSc. of Children’s HealthWatch. On-site free produce Mobile Markets constitute one part of GBFB’s three- pronged health and research program, which also includes screening patients for food insecurity, and a toolkit point- ing patients to food pantries, govern- ment assistance programs, nutrition information and other resources. The Mobile Market at SSTAR provides fresh fruits and vegetables to patients treated throughout the health center and is scheduled on the second Mon- day of every month.