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Seattle Children’s Receives $100,000 from Rite Aid Healthy Futures to Expand Equitable Care

Seattle Children’s has received a $100,000 grant from Rite Aid Healthy Futures, designed to help expand equitable care and improve health outcomes for children in underserved and vulnerable neighborhoods.

The funding comes through the charity’s Connecting Communities signature initiative and is part of an overall $3 million investment in more than 30 children’s hospitals serving Rite Aid communities.

The goal of Connecting Communities is to help major institutions like children’s hospitals collaborate with the neighborhoods around them in new and deeper ways, and ultimately connect people and places with the resources needed to advance health and racial equity.

Initial funding will support a wide range of hospitals and their community-based programs across 15 states. Funded programs concentrate on screening for food insecurity, food distribution and nutrition education, and aim to help eliminate root obstacles that keep communities from achieving health and wellness.

At Seattle Children’s, these funds will be utilized to strengthen our Food Security program, specifically the food pantry which opened in January 2018 – and has never turned anyone away. In 2020, new services were added in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including curbside pick-up, grocery card distribution, and grocery home delivery. The food pantry is staffed by 25-40 employees who volunteer their time each week, in addition to four paid staff. We partner with local organizations such as Ronald McDonald House and University District Food Bank to provide weekly groceries and cooking space for inpatient families. Our goal is to standardize bias-free universal screening at all pediatric healthcare visits and provide equitable food resources at all main campus clinics, all inpatient units, and at the following regional clinics: Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, South Clinic in Federal Way, North Clinic in Everett, Bellevue Clinic, and Olympia Clinic.

The grants are funded through Rite Aid’s KidCents fundraising program. Generous Rite Aid customers can round up their purchases online or in-store to support children’s health and wellness. Healthy Futures reinvests the funds into Rite Aid communities through programs like Connecting Communities.

“Expanding equitable care doesn’t start in the emergency room. It starts in our neighborhoods,” said Matt DeCamara, executive director of Rite Aid Healthy Futures. “Though the needs are great, so are the opportunities for progress. Children’s hospitals already play a critical role delivering vital medical care, and many of these institutions have developed impactful programs to serve kids, families and communities in ways that extend beyond traditional medical care. Working together, we can ensure everyone has what they need to live longer, healthier lives.”

About Rite Aid Healthy Futures
Rite Aid Healthy Futures, formerly known as The Rite Aid Foundation, is a public charity dedicated to driving change in communities, with emphasis on underserved neighborhoods, focusing on the areas of health, wellness, race and equity. Together with our donors, Rite Aid associates, community partners and neighbors, we help lift up local neighborhoods through caring actions and investments that make a real difference in people’s lives. Healthy Futures is proud to be affiliated with Rite Aid, which provides an array of whole being health products and services for the entire family through over 2,000 retail pharmacy locations across 17 states. Visit www.RiteAidHealthyFutures.org to learn more.services for the entire family throughover 2,000 retail pharmacy locations across 17 states. Visitwww.RiteAidHealthyFutures.org to learn more.