Toronto-based Second Harvest Combines Hunger Relief with Environmental Stewardship to Support Community Health

TORONTO, May 22, 2012 /CNW/ - The Physician Assistant Foundation and the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) are honouring Toronto-based hunger relief organization Second Harvest for its innovative work to simultaneously combat hunger and promote a healthier environment.

The PA Foundation will present Second Harvest with the annual $10,000 Caring for Communities Grant award during AAPA's Annual Physician Assistant Conference, which takes place in Toronto May 26-31.

Second Harvest is inviting the media to take a closer look at how hunger relief and environmental stewardship align during a ride-along with delivery trucks distributing fresh food to social service agencies. This food provides approximately 18,000 meals to families, children, seniors and other individuals in the Toronto area who have fallen on hard times. At the same time, Second Harvest protects all of Toronto's citizens from an estimated 3 million pounds of greenhouse equivalents that would likely enter the atmosphere each year if the food went to waste.

What:						PA Foundation Caring for Communities Grant award presentation and Second Harvest delivery ride-along
Who:						Jo-Anne Sobie, Second Harvest Executive Director Lisa Gables, Executive Director, PA Foundation Robert Wooten, PA-C, AAPA President
Where:						Second Harvest 1450 Lodestar Road, Unit 18 Toronto, ON M3J3C1
When:						Sunday, May 27, 2012, noon - 2 p.m.

Interview and Photo Opportunities: Members of the media will have the opportunity to interview spokespeople from Second Harvest, the PA Foundation and AAPA. Photo opportunities include operations at the Second Harvest warehouse, as well as food deliveries to the kitchens run by participating social service agencies.

About the American Academy of Physician Assistants
Founded in 1968, the American Academy of Physician Assistants is the national professional society for physician assistants. It represents a profession of more than 84,000 certified PAs across all medical and surgical specialties in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the majority of the U.S. territories and within the uniformed services. AAPA advocates and educates on behalf of the profession and the patients PAs serve. It works to ensure the professional growth, personal excellence and recognition of physician assistants and to enhance their ability to improve the quality, accessibility and cost-effectiveness of patient-centered healthcare. Visit www.aapa.org to learn more.

About the Physician Assistant Foundation
The PA Foundation's mission is to develop and allocate resources that empower the physician assistant profession to impact the health and wellness of the communities it serves. The PA Foundation provides grants to PAs and PA students who are making a difference in their local communities through the delivery of quality healthcare and provides student scholarships to help alleviate the heavy burden of cost of education. As the philanthropic arm of AAPA, the PA Foundation contributes to the advancement of the physician assistant profession. For more information, visit www.aapa.org/pa-foundation.

About Second Harvest
Second Harvest is the largest food rescue program in Canada. Since 1985, Second Harvest has been rescuing donated, excess food, which would have otherwise gone to waste, and delivering that food to community agencies in Toronto. Every day Second Harvest delivers enough food to provide 18,000 meals to over 200 community agencies in Toronto. Recognized for efficiency and impact of services, independent research group Charity Intelligence Canada has named Second Harvest a Recommended Charity for the past three years. For more information, visit www.secondharvest.ca.

 

Patrick Dunne, 571-319-4394, [email protected]