Health & Fitness
Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek Rallies for Local Youth
Back-to-School Supply Drive supports Meadow Homes Elementary
Backpacks, binders and a fresh box of Dixon Ticonderoga pencils: the tell-tale signs that it is back-to-school time. But for some school-aged children in Contra Costa County such simple luxuries are out of reach. To help ease the burden on local families, the Environmental Health and Safety Department at Kaiser Permanente’s Walnut Creek Medical Center decided to reach out and start a back-to-school supply drive.
“We were inspired by a similar back-pack drive we heard about at our medical offices in Martinez,” said Danielle Ormsby-Toombs, safety coordinator. “We decided to help Meadow Homes Elementary in Concord, where we knew the supplies would directly benefit the kids.”
Located in one of Kaiser Permanente’s Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zones, Meadow Homes Elementary serves more than 900, K-5 students. The HEAL Zones are a targeted, three-year effort by Kaiser Permanente to encourage people in low-income communities to eat better and move more as part of daily life.
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Oscar Montemayor, environmental health and safety manager at Kaiser Permanente’s Walnut Creek Medical Center brought flyers to meetings and told everyone what his department was trying to accomplish.
The duo rallied Kaiser Permanente employees at the medical center to drop off backpacks, pencils, scissors, erasers, folders and more; anything that an elementary school student could use. In two and a half weeks they had amassed an impressive collection. They also collected $100 in cash donations from employees.
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“I asked the school what they needed most with the cash donation and they mentioned that pencils, crayons and composition books were really needed, so that was what we bought: 75 boxes of crayons, more than 60 composition notebooks and 850 number 2 pencils,” said Ormsby-Toombs.
“Having students come to school prepared with supplies is a huge step on the path to their success,” said Dr. Mary-Louise Newling, principal of Meadow Homes. "The generosity of the staff and physicians of Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek has provided them with access to this. We are deeply grateful.”Montemayor is glad the supplies will be put to good use. “With a little guidance on what to purchase, fellow Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek staff and physicians realized just how easy this was to do. The best part is that such a small effort makes such a large impact in the lives of children right here in our own local community.”
