Altrusa Backpack Program receives $10,000 donation from HCA Florida Lake City Hospital

As a part of HCA Healthcare’s Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food and Nutrition Drive, HCA Florida Lake City Hospital today announced a donation of $10,000 to Altrusa International of Lake City, Florida’s Backpack Program to purchase food items for children in need during school breaks and holidays.

For the 2025 Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food and Nutrition Drive, hospitals were encouraged to get creative and build sculptures with the donated food before transporting it to their local food banks. HCA Florida Lake City Hospital proudly participated by creating a food structure and winning in its division. Using the donated items, the team constructed a helicopter-themed food sculpture inspired by the AirMethods’ HCA Healthcare helicopter—symbolizing hope and support for the children we are uplifting. The winner in each division received a $10,000 grant for the food bank serving their community.

Through this initiative, HCA Florida Lake City Hospital sought to address food insecurity impacting the communities we serve. According to the Florida Department of Health, more than 16% of Columbia County residents have food insecurities. To help lower this statistic in the community, HCA Florida Lake City Hospital collected over 1,300 pounds of food to donate to the Backpack Program.

“At HCA Florida Lake City Hospital, our mission extends far beyond providing healthcare — it includes strengthening the overall well-being of the communities we serve,” said Jill Adams, CEO of HCA Florida Lake City Hospital. “By coming together as a team, we transformed a simple food drive into an opportunity to inspire hope, raise awareness about food insecurity, and generate meaningful support for local children and families. We are honored to play a part in helping our community’s children thrive.”

The Backpack Program for children is an initiative started more than 10 years ago to feed children during school breaks to ensure they do not go hungry. Throughout the school year, many children rely on school breakfast and lunch to provide them with a meal for the day. When the school meals are unavailable, many children within the community do not have access to food.

“Access to nutritious food plays a vital role in a child’s ability to grow, learn and thrive,” said Sandy Thompson, President of Altrusa International of Lake City, Florida. “We are incredibly grateful for the generosity and partnership of HCA Florida Lake City Hospital. This donation will make a direct and lasting difference for hundreds of children in Columbia County who depend on the Backpack Program during school breaks.”

HCA Healthcare, our colleagues and the HCA Healthcare Foundation provided nearly 1 million nutritious meals to community food banks by donating food or making financial contributions to help purchase perishable items such as milk, fruit and vegetables.