Piedmont Virginia Community College Receives $15,000 Sentara Healthcare Grant
Charlottesville, Va. – December 23, 2022 – The Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) Student Financial Resource Center has been awarded a $15,000 grant from Sentara Healthcare to support the Healthy Choices Initiative. The Healthy Choices Initiative is designed to create sustainable community partnerships around social determinants of health (housing, food security, behavioral health services, skilled career training and equitable access to care).
Funds for this project supported the PVCC Panther Pantry’s enrollment in Fresh Farmacy to allow for the inclusion of more fresh produce and expansion of the Boxes for Break project.
“We are proud to partner with Sentara Healthcare to address food insecurity. Our graduates represent a much-needed talent pipeline for our business and community partners and reducing barriers to student success makes completion of a credential or degree possible for students,” shared PVCC President Jean Runyon.
Boxes for Break is an annual effort that benefits current PVCC students and their families over winter break. The boxes provide much needed food and hygiene items for the holiday season. In the inaugural year, PVCC provided more than fifty families with food boxes. This year more than 200 boxes of food and hygiene goods were requested.
Enrollment in Fresh Farmacy, a partnership between Local Food Hub and area health clinics that prescribes a biweekly supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, grown by Local Food Hub partner farms, will afford expansion of the Panther Pantry’s capacity to serve a growing population of food-insecure students, increase access to healthy food choices and elevate awareness of state and federal resource services. Through the award, PVCC aims to increase the pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables available to students from 60 to 120, serving up to 150 students with fresh produce.
To learn more about the PVCC Student Financial Resource Center visit www.pvcc.edu/student-services/student-financial-resource-center.
About Sentara
Sentara Healthcare celebrates more than 130 years in pursuit of its mission – “we improve health every day.” Sentara is an integrated, not-for-profit health care delivery system with approximately 30,000 employees (including 1,375 physicians and advanced practice providers), 12 hospitals in Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina and the Sentara Health Plans division which serves over 950,000 members. Sentara is recognized nationally for clinical quality and safety, and is strategically focused on innovation and creating an extraordinary health care experience for our patients and members. Sentara was named to IBM Watson Health’s “Top 15 Health Systems” in 2021 and 2018, and was recognized by Forbes as a “Best Employer for New Grads” and “Best Employer for Veterans” in 2022, “Best Employer for Women” in 2020, and one of “America’s Best Employers” in 2018.
About Piedmont Virginia Community College
Established in 1972, Piedmont Virginia Community College is a nonresidential two-year institution of higher education that serves Central Virginia – principally, residents of the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson. PVCC is committed to providing access to a college education for all who can benefit, an opportunity for each student to reach her/his potential, and excellence in all programs and services. Visit www.pvcc.edu.
###
MEDIA CONTACT:
Susian Brooks
Director | Marketing and Media Relations
434.961.6574 | sbrooks@pvcc.edu