
Cheerios cereals boxes, arranged in the shape of a giant sand castle, fill the lobby of Rapides Regional Medical Center.
Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation, and neither does compassion.
Colleagues at Rapides Regional Medical Center held a cereal drive in June to benefit the Food Bank of Central Louisiana. Not only was 2,600 pounds collected, but RRMC’s sculpture, “Hunger is no day at the beach,” captured first place in its division’s sculpture contest, earning an additional $10,000 donation to the Food Bank.
Representatives from Rapides Regional Medical Center, including Food Drive and Sculpture champions Caroline Beard, Allison Crump and Kelly Barrett, presented Food Bank of Central Louisiana Executive Director Jayne Wright-Velez with the winning check on Monday.
"We are deeply grateful to Rapides Regional Medical Center and their incredible team for their generous support,” said Wright-Velez. “The donation of more than 2,500 boxes of cereal from hospital employees, along with a $10,000 contribution from the hospital, will make a meaningful difference in the lives of families facing food insecurity in Central Louisiana. Their commitment to the health and well-being of our community goes far beyond medical care, and we appreciate their support of our mission to alleviate hunger in Central Louisiana.”
This was the first year Rapides Regional tried a Cheerios cereal drive instead of a traditional canned food drive, and the result was collecting more than twice the amount of food as in 2024.
“During the summer, donations to the Food Bank often decline, but the need for help from the Food Bank is often higher in the summer months when kids are out of school,” said Rapides Regional Medical Center CEO Vernon Jones. “We are thrilled with the outcome of our collections, but also appreciate the time and effort spent by our colleagues who made financial donations and purchased cereal for this great cause.”
According to the Food Bank, based on average number of servings in a box of cereal, combined with the $10,000 donation, they will be able to provide 67,500 meals to our community members in need.
“This initiative shows the commitment of our colleagues to nourish both bodies and lives beyond our hospital walls,” says Jones. “Fighting food insecurity is core to our mission to provide high quality, efficient and compassionate healthcare.”