January 17, 2013
January 17, 2013 — For the 9th year in a row, hundreds of Kaiser Permanente employees will use part of their workday to give back to the community on January 21, 2013, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Nearly 500 employees, physicians, friends, and family members will volunteer at one of 20 partner sites, located from Longview-Kelso to Salem. The general volunteer projects include helping at food, clothing, and book banks; planting trees; cleaning up parks; and improving school buildings.
This year, five projects with Kaiser Permanente clinical partners will receive a check for $8,000 for MLK Day. It’s all part of Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to diversity and to spreading health in the communities we serve. Also this year, the KP Gives program is donating $20,000 to the Clark County Food Bank and $10,000 to the Sunshine Division.
Here are details on six of the sites (reporters and photographers are welcome, and interviews are available, a full site list can be found at the bottom of the release):
· Volunteers will grab paintbrushes to help beautify Vernon Elementary School, 2044 NE Killingsworth St., Portland, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
· Employees will sort through food donations at the Clark County Food Bank,
6502 NE 47th Ave., Vancouver. There will be two shifts, from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3 p.m.
· Kaiser Permanente clinicians will once again provide free medical and optical care at the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington, 4100 Plomondon St., Vancouver, from 8:30 a.m. to noon and from 12:30 to 4 p.m.
· Volunteers will sort through food and clothing donations at the Portland Police Sunshine Division warehouse at 687 N Thompson St., Portland, from 8:30 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m.
· Kaiser Permanente volunteers will work to clear invasive blackberry bushes from walking trails, as well as do general cleanup and beautification, at Evergreen Park, 9414 NW 194th Terrace, Hillsboro, from 8:30 to 11 a.m.
· Volunteers will sort through book donations at the Salem-Keizer Public Schools offices, 233 Commercial St. NE, Salem, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Many of these outstanding community organizations are longtime community benefit partners of Kaiser Permanente,” said Andrew McCulloch, president, Kaiser Permanente Northwest. “I am proud that so many of our employees are using this ‘Day On’ as a way to honor Dr. King’s legacy.”
For Kaiser Permanente employees, working to spread health in the community is a great way to bring King’s words to life: “Life’s most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”
About Kaiser Permanente Northwest
Kaiser Permanente Northwest is part of America’s leading integrated health care organization. Founded in 1945, the organization serves the health needs of more than 9 million people in nine states and the District of Columbia. More than 483,000 people in Oregon and Southwest Washington receive their medical care from Kaiser Permanente, and 202,000 people receive dental care. A nonprofit health plan, Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. For more information, go tokp.org/newscenter.
