News Release
Adventist HealthCare Recognizes Shared Visions for Healthy Communities
2nd Annual Community Partnership Award Honors Local Organizations for Community Service
Rockville, Md. - Adventist HealthCare presented its 2nd Annual Community Partnership Award on May 21 to four community partners in honor of their contributions to the underserved. The 2008 award was presented to Manna Food Center, Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care, the Montgomery County Commission on People with Disabilities and the Whole Foods Market at Congressional Plaza during Adventist HealthCare’s annual spring conference.
“The Community Partnership Award is an expression of gratitude to these organizations who have partnered with Adventist HealthCare in building healthy communities,” said William G. “Bill” Robertson, Adventist HealthCare President and Chief Executive Officer. “Each one of them has demonstrated a shared vision for service and a common desire to provide services that better the future of individuals and communities.”
Award Recipients
Manna Food Center supplies food to nearly 2,000 households in Montgomery County each month. The not-for-profit also supplies food free of charge to emergency shelters, group homes, soup pantries and soup kitchens, enabling them to save $1 million annually to fund drug rehabilitation, life skill training, child care and shelter. Adventist HealthCare and its affiliates, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland and Shady Grove Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, support Manna through food drives and participation in Smart Sacks, a program that provides weekend food supplies to needy children in Montgomery County Public Schools.
Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care is a federally qualified, comprehensive health center based in Washington, D.C. In May, Mary’s Center in partnership with Washington Adventist Hospital opened its first primary care center in Maryland to expand health-care access in the region. The new center is located at 8709 Flower Ave. in Long Branch and provides quality care to underserved families in Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Langley Park.
The Montgomery County Commission on People with Disabilities works with city, state and local organizations like Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland to provide a network of services that promote safety and well-being for the more than 180,000 individuals living with disabilities in the county. The Commissions’ initiatives also include increasing the availability of accessible housing, improving access in the community, and promoting health and wellness for the disabled.
The Whole Foods Market at Congressional Plaza in Rockville provides food year-round to the low-income children and their families receiving outpatient mental health services at the Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young, which is a member of Adventist HealthCare. Whole Foods also gives 5 percent of its profits every year to a wide variety of community and non-profit organizations.
Adventist HealthCare, an integrated health care delivery organization based in Rockville, Maryland, is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland. The mission of Adventist HealthCare is to demonstrate God’s care by improving the health of people and communities through a ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing. Adventist HealthCare includes Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Washington Adventist Hospital, Adventist Behavioral Health Services, Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland, Adventist Senior Living Services, Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, Adventist Home Health Services, the Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children, and LifeWork Strategies.