Point32Health & Celtics United team up to spread the health

In Massachusetts, 1 in 12 people are uncertain about their next meal. That equals more than half a million Bay Staters, and more than 110,000 of those are children. The winter months prove even more challenging for these individuals, as issues related to access and mobility are even further exacerbated by the cold and/or poor weather conditions.

To raise awareness of, and actively combat the issue of food insecurity, and the corresponding health effects that go with it, Point32Health and Boston Celtics United teamed up for their first event as part of their Spread the Health collaboration.

Launched in 2021, Spread the Health presented by Point32Health is a Boston Celtics United initiative focused on health topics – food insecurity, chronic conditions, health disparities, maternal health, and more – that impact the health and wellness of Black and Brown communities.

Together, our two organizations volunteered at Community Servings, a Boston-based organization that provides home-delivered meals and nutrition services to food insecure individuals and families living with critical and chronic illnesses throughout Massachusetts.

“This volunteering event is a bit different than what we typically do,” said Kash Cannon, director of community engagement for the Boston Celtics. “Instead of highlighting those health disparities and talking about them – we already know they exist – you all are going to be volunteering and actually addressing the chronic illnesses Community Servings tries to address.”

Nearly a dozen Point32Health colleagues were joined by Celtics United staffers and Celtics legend Leon Powe at Community Servings headquarters. Together, the team packaged about 800 medically tailored meals for individuals and their families experiencing critical or chronic illness and nutrition insecurity.

“We are really committed to supporting community-based organizations like Community Servings to be able to better support our members and our community when it comes to food security.” Haile Hernandez, head of social determinants of health at Point32Health. “Food is so incredibly personal and cultural; we want to be sure we provide members with referrals (to partners like Community Servings) that will respect and cater to their specific needs.”

Our next Spread the Health program with Celtics United which will focus on behavioral health and will take place in January 2024.