US Healthcare Professionals Foundation Honors Toronto-based Second Harvest for Feeding the Hungry While Promoting a Healthier Environment

TORONTO, May 27, 2012 /CNW/ - The Physician Assistant Foundation and the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) are recognizing Toronto-based hunger relief organization Second Harvest for its innovative work to simultaneously combat hunger and promote a healthier environment for Torontonians in need.

The PA Foundation is presenting Second Harvest with its annual $10,000 Caring for Communities Grant award during AAPA's Annual Physician Assistant Conference, which takes place in Toronto now through May 31. The Caring for Communities Grant is designed to impact public health through the work of physician assistants (PAs) and PA students.

"We are delighted to support Second Harvest's work as a leading advocate for Torontonians and families in need," said PA Foundation Executive Director Lisa Gables. "The organization's efforts to feed the hungry and promote a healthier environment in the Toronto community align very well with the PA Foundation's—and the PA profession's—commitment to supporting the overall health and well-being of every community."

Second Harvest rescues unused food—more than 70 million pounds of it since 1985— from local restaurants, supermarkets and growers, and delivers it to more than 200 local agencies throughout Toronto. In turn, these organizations provide approximately 18,000 meals daily to people seeking help at homeless and domestic violence shelters, breakfast programs and other community-support organizations. While people may come in for the food, through Second Harvest's partners, they are also able to access healthcare services they might otherwise go without.

"A commonsense approach to hunger relief and a respect for our environment lies at the heart of everything we do," said Jo-Anne Sobie, executive director of Second Harvest. "The Caring for Communities grant will be tremendously helpful in ensuring that no one in our community goes hungry."

Ultimately, all Torontonians benefit from Second Harvest's work because it protects them from an estimated 3 million pounds of greenhouse equivalents that could impact the city's air quality each year, if the food ended up in landfills.

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, 703-400-9397, [email protected]