18,000 McKesson Employees Gather to Raise Awareness, Give Back to Cancer Patients in Need
Employees to make warm blankets, decorate "hope chests" and write notes of encouragement cancer patients as part of annual "Community Days" event
Sep 19, 2016, 01:31 ET
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- McKesson, a healthcare services and information technology company, announced today that more than 18,000 McKesson employees at more than 180 locations across the U.S. and Canada will participate in annual "Community Days," volunteer event. Held September 19 - 30, 2016, Community Days lets employees give back and raise awareness about the struggle many cancer patients face to afford basic items during chemotherapy treatment.
This year, McKesson employees in the U.S. and Canada will make more than 20,000 blankets, decorate "hope chests," and write personal notes of encouragement for cancer patients. These items will be included in care packages that are distributed through Giving Comfort, a program of the McKesson Foundation.
"Our company is dedicated to better health for our communities, and volunteering is one of the ways we demonstrate that commitment," said Christine Lopez, president of the McKesson Foundation. "Our employees have a lot of heart and share the belief that no one should face cancer alone. In fact, research shows that psychological and social support can decrease cancer patients' risk of recurrence and death by nearly 50 percent. By giving our time to prepare care packages, combined with grants from the McKesson Foundation, we aim to provide patients in our communities with the encouragement and support to keep fighting."
Each year, 1.6 million people in the U.S. are newly diagnosed with cancer. After surveying hundreds of cancer patients, social workers and oncology professionals, Giving Comfort was established in 2012 to provide cancer patients with care packages that are filled with items to offer comfort and relief during treatment.
Through the support of the McKesson Foundation, the care packages are provided to patients in need free-of-charge. The packages are delivered into the hands of patients through Giving Comfort's partnerships with hospitals, cancer treatment centers, and cancer support organizations in more than 280 locations – such as the American Cancer Society, the Mayo Clinic, and Veterans Administration cancer centers – to name a few.
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who took the time to make my amazing care package. I was literally speechless when I opened my bag and found so much love in each detail and the supportive words that had been poured into my bag," said Jennifer, a patient who received her care package through one of Giving Comfort's partners.
In addition to McKesson employees' efforts to create comfort items for patients, the McKesson Foundation will donate a grant to a local partner of each of the more than 180 McKesson locations participating in Community Days. In total, McKesson is expected to award more than $200,000 in grants to local partners across the country, providing further funding for patient services such as transportation, lodging and counseling.
To learn more, please visit www.givingcomfort.org.
About McKesson Foundation
Founded in 1943, the McKesson Foundation is dedicated to supporting McKesson employees' community involvement efforts and cancer care. To maximize our impact, the Foundation invests in organizations that provide cancer support programs, providing care packages for cancer patients through McKesson Foundation's Giving Comfort program, and growing and diversifying the international bone marrow registry through the McKesson Marrow Drive.
Each year, the McKesson Foundation contributes more than $4.5 million to nonprofit organizations working to improve the health of our communities. Over the past three years, the Foundation has matched more than $3.4 million in employee donations to charitable organizations. For more information, please contact us at [email protected].
About McKesson Corporation
McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 5th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. McKesson partners with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit www.mckesson.com.
Media Contact:
Michelle Blundell, 202.478.6176
[email protected]
SOURCE McKesson Foundation