“NYC Healthcare Heroes,” a city-wide philanthropic program to support NYC healthcare professionals on the front lines, kicked-off this week by delivering thousands of bags of shelf-stable food, household cleaning and personal care products, as well as over-the-counter medicine to healthcare professionals at Bellevue Hospital, Coney Island Hospital and other hospital sites in its first week in operation. The program will provide at least 300,000 and up to 500,000 packages to the more than 100,000 New York City healthcare professionals across the five boroughs through the end of June.
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“NYC Healthcare Heroes” is a city-wide philanthropic program launched by the Debra & Leon Black Family and Aramark to support NYC healthcare professionals on the front lines (Photo: Business Wire)
To launch this program, the Black Family committed $20 million, including an initial $10 million donation and plans to match additional donations up to $10 million, bringing the total possible raise to at least $30 million. The Debra and Leon Black Family teamed up with Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), the world’s largest U.S.-based provider of food, facilities and uniforms, who is donating labor to provide procurement, assembly and delivery services. Aramark, in keeping with its 84-year history of answering the call for assistance in times of need, has redeployed production lines at its Refreshment Services facility in North Bergen, NJ to assemble the packages of shelf-stable food, household cleaning and personal care products, as well as over-the-counter medicine.
Press Event
In conjunction with the first deliveries, “NYC Healthcare Heroes” is hosting an inaugural press event at Coney Island Hospital at 7:00 PM ET on April 16. The event will begin with a round of applause for hospital staff and prepared remarks by Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray, Melissa Schwartz, VP of Operations for Aramark, Wes Moore, CEO of Robin Hood, and Susan Rounds, Regional CEO for the American Red Cross’ Greater New York Region.
Date: Thursday, April 16
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Address:
Coney Island Hospital
2601 Ocean Parkway
Brooklyn, NY
Package Details
The packages will be delivered to healthcare professionals and volunteers heading home to their families at the end of their shifts, with deliveries staggered to accommodate all staffing schedules. The packages include shelf-stable milk, coffee, tea, energy drinks, juice, pasta, tuna fish, peanut butter, ramen noodles, soup, macaroni and cheese, crackers, nuts, candy, nutrition bars, cereal cold cup, shelf-stable meal, disinfectant, hand lotion, toilet paper, paper towel roll, toothpaste, sanitizers, deodorant, mouthwash, dry shampoo, ear plugs, lip balm, pen, and vitamins. The program is adaptable and includes a mechanism to gather feedback, ensuring it meets the needs of hospital staff on an ongoing basis. The distribution is being planned in accordance with PPE and social distancing standards.
Partners
The Debra and Leon Black Family and Aramark launched the program in partnership with the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, Robin Hood, New York City’s largest poverty fighting organization, and the American Red Cross. Robin Hood is managing receipt of matching 501(c)(3) donations. Red Cross volunteers will coordinate with Aramark to distribute the packages to hospital staff. Donations of all sizes are encouraged to help support this initiative. With the Black Family’s matching commitment, just $30 covers the cost of a package for a valued healthcare professional. To donate, visit bit.ly/NYCHealthcareHeroes.
To see more photos and videos of the program, visit @NYCHealthcareHeroes on Instagram and @NYCHealthHeroes on Twitter and share with your followers.
About Debra and Leon Black
Debra and Leon Black support numerous medical and other institutions in New York City and throughout the United States. Debra sits on the Board of Overseers at Weill Cornell Medicine, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Rockefeller University, and she has spearheaded gifts for Melanoma and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (“OCD”) research. Leon is Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Apollo Global Management. He also is the chairman of the Museum of Modern Art (“MoMA”) and serves as a trustee of Mount Sinai Hospital, where his family launched The Black Family Stem Cell Institute in 2005.
In 2007, the Blacks co-founded the Melanoma Research Alliance (“MRA”), a nonprofit foundation that has become the largest private funder of Melanoma research worldwide, having committed over $150 million in funding to advance understanding of the disease. MRA has helped fund 12 drugs approved by the Federal Drug Administration (“FDA”) since its founding, which have been instrumental in launching the immunotherapy revolution, now helping to combat thirty different cancers.
In 2020, the Blacks co-founded The Foundation for OCD Research (FfOR) to fund research into and treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
The Blacks are also deeply committed to supporting veterans. In 2014, Leon launched the Apollo Veterans Initiative, where companies commit to hiring and retaining veterans, national guard, reserves, and military spouses and partners. The Debra and Leon Black family also funds a graduate student fellowship program for U.S. veterans and active duty military members, which covers the cost of attendance and supports comprehensive leadership development annually at Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Law School.
About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world. Our 280,000 team members deliver innovative experiences and services in food, facilities management and uniforms to millions of people every day. We strive to create a better world by making a positive impact on people and the planet, including commitments to engage our employees; empower healthy consumers; build local communities; source ethically, inclusively and responsibly; operate efficiently and reduce waste. Aramark is recognized as a Best Place to Work by the Human Rights Campaign (LGBTQ+), Diversity Inc., Black Enterprise and the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
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