ROCKLEDGE, Fla., Dec. 4, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Health First and 75 of its associates went toy shopping Thursday morning to help make this holiday season special for hundreds of Brevard County children in need. For the second year in a row, Health First partnered with the South Brevard Sharing Center to fulfill holiday wish lists for Brevard County kids and teens in need. Through the Health First Community Benefits Program, Health First associates and volunteers from the Sharing Center went shopping at the Toys "R" Us in Melbourne to purchase more than 400 gifts for the "Children Without Christmas Toy Drive."
"Health First's dedication to all of Brevard County goes well beyond simply providing health care to those in need," said Health First President & CEO Steve Johnson. "Health First is committed to serving our community and is proud to give back through events like the Sharing Center Toy Drive that helps those in need."
The gifts included everything from bicycles, Monster High dolls, and of course, Disney's Frozen accessories to Avengers action figures and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The items were loaded onto the Sharing Center's truck so they could be delivered to the children before Christmas Day.
"This event is the highlight of our year," said Michael Hubler, Executive Director, South Brevard Sharing Center. "There's nothing better than being able to hand out toys and bring joy to hundreds of area children at Christmas. We're very blessed to have Health First as a community partner."
Health First Community Benefits Program works with several non-profit agencies year-round. In 2013, Health First's support of the community totaled more than $111 million, which included charity and uncompensated care.
About Health First
Founded in 1995, Health First is Central Florida's only fully integrated delivery network (IDN) and employs more than 7,800 associates. The integrator of its IDN is Health First Health Plans offering a wide variety of health insurance options across Central Florida. In addition it operates four hospitals (Cape Canaveral Hospital, Holmes Regional Medical Center, Palm Bay Hospital and Viera Hospital) and is home to Brevard County's only Trauma Center. Health First Medical Group is the largest multi-specialty physician group on the Space Coast. Health First also offers numerous outpatient and wellness services, including Health First Aging Services, four Health First Pro-Health & Fitness Centers and Home and Hospice care. Visit www.health-first.org for more information.
About South Brevard Sharing Center
The South Brevard Sharing Center Inc. (SBSC) was founded in 1971 as a non-profit, community based agency whose mission is to provide basic needs assistance to help families in South Brevard County, Fla. This assistance includes food, clothing, household items, and financial vouchers for prescriptions, utilities, rent, and other miscellaneous items through case managed services. Seasonally, the Sharing Center also provides Christmas gifts and holiday meals for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, as well as back packs with supplies for children to start the new school year. SBSC's mission to provide basic needs services to low or no income individuals and families with children, serve as a liaison between religious, civic and local organizations, and provide an outlet to persons with abundance to readily share financial surplus with those financially less fortunate. For more information, visit www.mysbsc.org.
Photos accompanying this release are available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=29473
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=29474
