Delta Dental of Iowa Employees Give Back Program Focused on Nutrition and Wellness

Posted on May 21, 2019 in Corporate

On May 17, Delta Dental of Iowa’s break room transformed into a meal packaging facility. The tables were lined up, the hairnets and food safety gloves were in place and employees were hard at work packaging 20,000 meals for Meals from the Heartland. The company’s Giving Back and Bringing Smiles to Iowans project includes three components: give, provide, and volunteer.

“Improving lives is a core value that we take seriously both personally and professionally,” said Jeff Russell, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Iowa. “Food insecurity is an issue everywhere, but many may not realize how it impacts people right here in Iowa. As a local insurance company, we want to provide nutrition and wellness support for our most vulnerable Iowans, including those impacted by the massive flooding and those who struggle with food insecurity every day.”

GIVE. During the April 12 board meeting, Delta Dental presented a $5,000 donation to Meals from the Heartland. The donation was targeted to assist with meal packaging and placement efforts throughout the state of Iowa, including families affected by the recent flooding in southwest Iowa. Another $2,500 was donated to the Food Bank of Iowa’s Smoke Out Hunger event in July. Delta Dental also donated 5,000 toothbrushes to the Food Bank of Iowa for distribution.

PROVIDE. Delta Dental of Iowa employees will be encouraged to donate canned food and personal items in November to assist with the Johnston Partnership Food Pantry which will add running miles to the Johnston Mayor’s Annual Run for Food campaign.

VOLUNTEER. On May 17, Delta Dental employees assembled to package 20,000 meals throughout the day. The company’s goal is 100% participation from employees for the volunteer component of the Give Back project. Optional volunteer shifts were made available at the Johnston Food Pantry for those who were unable to participate.

Focused on its mission of improving the health and smiles of the people it serves, Delta Dental of Iowa, through its Foundation and corporate giving distributed $3.1 million across Iowa in 2018. Delta Dental employees play an important role in continuing this community impact through the Give Back project and personal charitable outreach.

For more information on Delta Dental of Iowa’s Give Back projects, visit the annual report link: https://www.deltadentalia.com/foundation/about/annual-report/