GARFIELD, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Award-winning actress Judy Reyes (Scrubs, Devious Maids), Sound of Gol Foundation and UnitedHealthcare employees will participate on Saturday, April 18, in a volunteer project supporting the Garfield Health Department’s “Food for Thought: building and harvesting community gardens” program. With the guidance of Garden State Urban Farms and Rutgers Master Gardeners, volunteers will help create nearly 300 EarthBox portable hydroponic gardens.
Food and flowers are being grown throughout Garfield during the program’s third year, and are being tended to by middle and high-school students, Housing Authority residents and individuals with disabilities.
“UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to support the work of Sound of Gol Foundation and the Garfield Health Department,” said Michael McGuire, CEO of UnitedHealthcare of New Jersey. “Together we are building healthier communities by providing greater access to, and greater awareness of, fresh produce.”
Joining Reyes and UnitedHealthcare employees are Sound of Gol Foundation founder George Valencia (27 Wolves), soccer coaches Jorge Acosta and Fernando Barboto, and members of the foundation’s U-12 girls soccer team.
Sound of Gol Foundation recently held tryouts and selected participants for its inaugural youth exhibition soccer team. To address the often high cost of participation in youth sports, the foundation allows the team of U-12 girls to practice and play free of charge while participating in weekly community service projects.
“Our mission is to build a strong, well-rounded U-12 girls soccer team with players who will become leaders in their communities and the world,” said Valencia. “We hope to pave the way for these girls to continually seek physical activity, philanthropy and excellence throughout their lives.”
This project is the latest in UnitedHealthcare’s “Do Good. Live Well.” program, an employee-volunteer initiative aimed at preventing hunger and obesity, inspire service and encourage volunteerism. For more information about the benefits of volunteering and to find local opportunities to get involved, visit www.DoGoodLiveWell.org. Follow @DoGoodLiveWell on Twitter or “like” Do Good. Live Well. on Facebook.
About the Sound of Gol Foundation
The
Sound of Gol Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports youth
development using soccer as a vehicle to empower social and personal
growth. Because youth soccer has increasingly become a pay-to-play
model, and school-based sports programs continually suffer budget cuts,
the efforts of the Sound of Gol Foundation allow youth to explore and
advance their interests and experiences with sport and service to
others. The Foundation was inspired through the animated series, La
Golda, engaging kids to take action and do good around the world through
soccer. Learn more about the Sound of Gol Foundation at www.soundofgol.org.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare
is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by
simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and
wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care
providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit
programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees
and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and
contracts directly with more than 850,000 physicians and care
professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide.
Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves more than 45 million people in health
benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH),
a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more
information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com
or follow @myUHC on Twitter.
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