Many are eager to donate to food drives during the holidays, fueled by the desire to serve those who can’t afford Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. What many people don’t realize is that once the holidays have passed, the need remains, yet donation rates drop.

Lindsey Ouimet serves as operations administrator II for Kettering Health Medical Group Practice Operations. In the days following Christmas, she and a few other KHMG employees heard local news stations explaining that food banks were having to turn people away due to being short on donations following the demand of the holidays.

They felt called to help.

“The managers, director, and I talked and decided we wanted to see how much of the holiday spirit we could keep alive after the holidays ended and how we could help meet the needs of the communities we love so much,” said Lindsey.

They reached out to The FoodBank, Inc. in Dayton—the largest food bank in our area—and worked with them to determine the greatest needs.

Ultimately, six KHMG Primary Care practices participated in the donation drive. Lindsey organized a contest challenging each office to collect a certain number of items, aiming for a total donation of 515 items. The practices exceeded this goal, collecting 753 items to donate.

Lindsey shared that the participating offices enjoyed the opportunity to address a gap in resources in their community they didn’t even realize was there. “I think we feel like food banks receive steady donations, but knowing there are gaps that result in turning people away and that we could have a small impact on whether or not someone eats was a huge win.”

All in all, they had a significant impact on the community and were reminded of the importance of giving back. “We took away the biggest reminder that the holidays bring out a unique and beautiful spirit, but the need doesn’t end when the holidays do,” Lindsey said.

Thank you to each individual in these practices who participated in this challenge to help support our community!