children struggling with hunger with a healthy breakfast during the summer through its Healthy Over Hungry Cereal
Drive benefitting the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry, a member of the Feeding America network.
“At West Suburban Medical Center, we recognize hunger exists in every city in America, and our staff is eager to join the fight
against hunger and make a difference in our community,” said Patrick Maloney, chief executive officer of West Sub. “We
recognize the importance of good nutrition on good health and hope that, through this drive, we can help those struggling with
food insecurity.”During a weeklong campaign West Sub employees donated 9,522 servings of breakfast cereal. Monetary donations
“I was overwhelmed as the cereal boxes began to stack up in my office,” said Sarah Dean, Manager of Community Services.
“Raising nearly 10,000 servings of cereal for the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry in less than a week proves that our
employees truly are rooted in care, compassion and community.”
The Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry serves residents of 12 different zip codes including portions of the city of Chicago
and a majority of the surrounding suburbs. It is estimated that over 6,000 individuals, in Oak Park, are “food insecure”
and do not know where their next meal is coming from. Efforts like the Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive make an
impact as to the number of individuals that are able to receive food.
“We appreciate West Suburban Medical Center for hosting the Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive and are grateful for all
that it does for our community,” said Michele Zurakowski, Executive Director of the Oak Par River Forest Food Pantry.
“Summer is a particularly difficult time for our food bank because many children can no longer rely on their school for
meals so their families often turn to us for help. Cereal is so expensive, so we’re thrilled to pass this donation on to our
families in need. Thanks to West Sub and the Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive, many families will have a healthy
breakfast.”
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, in 2014, 15.8 million children, under the age of 18, in the U.S. are
unable to access enough nutritious food necessary for a healthy life. Whole-grain cereal, when part of a healthy, balanced
breakfast including dairy, fruit and lean protein, is a popular food item that experts say can easily address the hunger gap during
the summer months when children are not in school. Healthy cereal contains one serving of whole grain, no more than 200
