NY Giants Hakeem Nicks’ Gives Helping Hand in Harlem

New York Giants Hakeem Nicks prepares to race with children in the after-school program at the Union Settlement in East Harlem.

Hakeem Nicks’ Helping Hands and UnitedHealthcare teamed up with the Food Bank For New York City and the Community Food Bank of New Jersey to support food backpack programs for youth in New York City and New Jersey.

The program will provide backpacks of healthy foods to more than 150 children enrolled in after-school programs at the Union Settlement Association in East Harlem and the Samuel L. Berliner School in Newark, N.J. In New York, backpacks will be available to children on alternate Fridays with food provided by Food Bank For New York City.

“UnitedHealthcare has a long commitment toward helping people live healthier lives. Access to healthy foods and staying active are critical to helping children thrive,” said New York Giants Hakeem Nicks, who launched his Helping Hands program this year. “I look forward to working with UnitedHealthcare’s local leadership and staff as we help our local communities get healthy foods and snacks to children in need.”

“Hakeem Nicks and UnitedHealthcare are working together to help ensure that no children in New York City and New Jersey go hungry, especially during this holiday season,” said Bill Golden, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of New York. “We look forward to expanding this program to include nutrition education and physical activity to help children develop a lifelong commitment to health by staying active and making healthy food choices.”

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group company, serves nearly 4 million residents across New York with a care provider network of more than 200 hospitals and 40,000 physicians statewide.

“We are very pleased to partner with Hakeem and the folks at UnitedHealthcare on this important initiative,” said Margarette Purvis, president and CEO, Food Bank For New York City. “One in five children in New York City relies on emergency food programs such as soup kitchens and food pantries. The BackPack program is designed to help alleviate hunger among low-income children at a time when free or reduced-priced school lunches are not available, such as on weekends and over school vacations, by providing healthy food-to-go.  It fills an enormous need.”

“Our kids are committed to living healthy and this program is a great first step,” said David Nocenti, executive director of the East Harlem’s Union Settlement. “We look forward to welcoming Hakeem and UnitedHealthcare’s staff back in early 2013 to work with our kids on nutrition and physical fitness programs.”

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