Turlock nurses join effort to feed needy children over the summer

When school lets out, many children also lose access to healthy breakfasts.

Nurses at Emanuel Medical Center are working on a drive to help alleviate that problem, collecting healthy cereals for distribution to needy children.

The effort started in 2010 at a Detroit Tenet hospital, after nurses noticed that some of the children they were seeing were malnourished. They started the Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive. This year, with Emanuel now under Tenet Healthcare Corp. ownership, the Turlock hospital nurses decided to take part.

Through Friday, nurses are collecting boxes of healthy cereal, which will be turned over to the New Life Christian Center food bank. Families visit New Life weekly for groceries – last year, hospital officials said, the food bank provided food for 1,765 families.

For those who don’t work at the hospital, bins are located in the front lobby area and in the cafeteria.

The drive emphasizes healthy cereals, meaning those with whole grain as the first ingredient, at least 3 grams of fiber, less than 6 grams of sugar and fewer than 200 calories per serving.

This story was originally published June 3, 2015 at 2:36 PM with the headline "Turlock nurses join effort to feed needy children over the summer."