Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/31/2020 --Intermountain has made a $250,000 contribution to the Utah Food Bank while encouraging the community to also help during this much needed time during the pandemic.

The contribution will support the Utah Food Bank "Fighting Hunger Statewide" program, which provides food to Utahns through 203 food pantries and agency partners. Due to COVID-19, the number of adults and children in Utah facing hunger has rapidly increased over the last ten months. To respond to this unique need, Utah Food Bank has expanded its mobile food pantry program. The program provides grocery-style food assistance to high-risk communities.

"Access to healthy foods is vital to health and well-being. This contribution is in recognition of the needs of our community and the opportunity for health systems and food banks to collaborate in improving health," said Lisa Nichols, assistant vice president of Community Health for Intermountain Healthcare. "More than 18 percent of households with children are facing food hardship. Intermountain is pleased to partner with the Utah Food Bank to address this critical need."

The program has numerous benefits and helps remove many barriers to receiving food assistance. It is highly flexible, meets people in their current location by eliminating transportation barriers, and is immediately responsive to hunger's changing geography. The Intermountain contribution would also be used to support 14 mobile pantries throughout Utah.

"Intermountain Healthcare is proud to support the Utah Food Bank and urges others to do so as well. We can all contribute, ensuring that Utah's families have nutritious food in their homes," Nichols said.

Intermountain also encourages its caregivers and community members to help with money, food, or time. Please visit utahfoodbank.org to contribute.

About Intermountain Healthcare
Intermountain Healthcare is a not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals, 215 clinics, a Medical Group with 2,500 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services in Idaho, Utah, and Nevada. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs. For more information, see intermountainhealthcare.org.