United Way of Summit & Medina today announced that it had received $30,000 from Molina Healthcare of Ohio (Molina) in conjunction with The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation. Of the $30,000 awarded to United Way, half will support the organization’s Stuff the Bus school supplies drive. The other half will help establish a resource closet at the Hyre Family Resource Center, which is set to open officially next month.
United Way of Summit & Medina’s annual Stuff the Bus school supplies drive brings volunteers and local businesses together to collect, sort and distribute classroom materials for Akron and Medina County students. This school year, United Way will give every Akron Public Schools elementary student a free set of school supplies when they return from winter break, helping ensure students have what they need end the school year successfully.
In addition to supporting Stuff the Bus, the grant from The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation will help establish a resource closet at United Way’s Family Resource Center in Hyre CLC, set to open next month. United Way’s Family Resource Centers offer safe, welcoming places within schools that place parents and caregivers at the center of an ecosystem of supportive services, including basic needs support, health and wellness programs, financial coaching and more. The resource closet sponsored by Molina Healthcare of Ohio will stock items like supplementary food, hygiene supplies and other essentials for clients in need of help.
“Ensuring our children and their families have the resources they need to succeed in life is a community effort and Molina is proud to partner with United Way of Summit & Medina to make that happen,” said Ami Cole, plan president of Molina Healthcare of Ohio. “This financial commitment gives year-round support so that help is available no matter when needs arise.”
“We’re incredibly grateful to The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation and Molina Healthcare of Ohio for supporting Stuff the Bus and our soon-to-open Family Resource Center at Hyre,” said Jim Mullen, president and CEO of United Way of Summit & Medina. “Caring for the health of our community can take many forms, from building up the resources available to residents in need to bringing people together to help students succeed. We’re proud to have Molina as our partner in this work.”