Tenet Healthcare hospitals in the Central Valley – Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock and Doctors Hospital of Manteca – are leading a community effort to provide area children struggling with hunger with a healthy breakfast during the summer. Donations are being collected through the Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive benefitting Second Harvest of the Greater Valley. The drive runs through Friday.

“We are proud to be a part of this summertime initiative which provides a nutritious breakfast for those struggling with hunger in our community – many of whom are children who can no longer rely on their schools for meals during the summer,” said Murali Naidu, MD, CEO of Emanuel Medical Center.

“We know that good nutrition is crucial to good health. Many households rely on food banks and other food programs to have access to the healthy meals they need to thrive, and through this drive, we hope to help many in our community struggling with food insecurity,” said Jay Krishnaswamy, CEO of Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, and Interim CEO at Doctors Hospital, Manteca.

Whole-grain cereal, when part of a healthy, balanced breakfast including dairy, fruit and lean protein, is a popular food item that experts say can easily address the hunger gap during the summer months when children are not in school. Healthy cereal contains one serving of whole grain, no more than 200 calories per serving, six grams or less of sugar and at least three grams of protein.

Donations of healthy cereal can be dropped off at all three Central Valley Tenet hospitals – Doctors Medical Center, Emanuel Medical Center and Doctors Hospital of Manteca. All donations will stay local and go to Second Harvest of the Greater Valley, which serves eight counties including Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced, Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne.

Monetary donations can also be made; financial donations are crucial to creating a complete healthy breakfast. The money helps the food bank buy perishable items such as milk, fruit and vegetables, and lean protein that can complement whole grains.