MedStar Health Spring Food Drive Coming to Leonardtown

MedSTAR Transport teams with the community to support local food pantries.

LEONARDTOWN, Md.‒When every second counts, the MedSTAR Transport team is there, on the ground and in the air. They’re taking that same lifesaving spirit into the community Saturday, March 21, with a food drive at Leonardtown High School from 10 a.m. to noon. The rain date for the event is April 18.

The MedSTAR Transport team, leaders, and volunteers are inviting the St. Mary's County community to help fill their helicopter and ambulance with non-perishable food donations. Donors can meet the crew, explore the vehicles, and learn about the life-saving work they perform every day.

“Our team has been dedicated to serving the greater Baltimore-Washington community since our first patient flight in 1983,” said Ron Armontrout, NRP, FP-C, operations manager for MedSTAR Transport. “Every day, we are entrusted with caring for our neighbors during their most vulnerable moments. We are proud to extend that commitment beyond emergency response by supporting preventative efforts to help combat food insecurity in St. Mary’s County.”

Donations will support Feed St. Mary’s, a community-supported food bank, and the Healthy Food Pantry at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, which has supported the specific dietary needs for 80 patients over the past 12 months.

“Nutritious foods play an important role in the healing process,” said Lori Werrell, assistant vice president of Care Transformation at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital. “Our Healthy Food Pantry supports patients during the critical time following their discharge and allows us time to connect them to pantries and soup kitchens for long-term needs.”

A person or household facing food insecurity struggles with reliable and consistent access to nutritious foods that allow them to live an active, healthy life. According to the Maryland Food Bank, nearly 12% of the population of St. Mary’s County faces food insecurity.

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