West Houston Medical Center joins YMCA’s Operation Backpack

WHMC partners with West Houston Young Professionals in a mission to help area children

HOUSTON, August 6, 2010 –West Houston Medical Center (WHMC) has registered as an official drop spot for the Greater Houston YMCA’s Operation Backpack. The drop site is located at 12141 Richmond Ave, in the hospital’s front lobby, and will be available until August 11th. Please see the information below on how to participate.

How you can help:
1) Purchase a new backpack for a young child (ages 5-14)
2) Stuff the backpack with new school supplies (Needed supplies listed below)
3) Place a note of encouragement in the backpack
4) Drop off the completed backpack at West Houston Medical Center

Needed supplies include: backpacks, pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers, crayons, colored pencils, rulers, scissors, folders, spiral notebooks (100 sheets), one inch binders, glue bottles, glue sticks, rolls of tape, and wide ruled paper.

West Houston Young Professionals, in association with the Houston West Chamber of Commerce, made Operation Backpack one of their main community service initiatives this fall, and turned to WHMC for support. Todd Caliva, West Houston Medical Center’s CEO, jumped at the opportunity to provide his help and support. Todd has a strong passion for the community as well as local education. West Houston Medical Center has donated over 100 backpacks to the YMCA’s Operation Backpack in hopes of providing the children within the community a perfect start to a new school year. Each backpack will be stuffed with school supplies donated by the local community. In addition to the supplies, Caliva has written an inspirational letter of encouragement to each child that will be placed in every backpack donated by West Houston Medical Center.

Media Contact:
April Lord
Marketing Coordinator
(281)588-8164
April.Lord@HCAhealthcare.com