HealthReach Community Health Centers recently received a $2,750 award from the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund, according to a news release from the group.

This grant award will enable the Bingham Emergency Food Bag Program to continue in 2019. HealthReach donated 100 percent of this funding to Good Shepherd Food Bank for the Bingham program. At Bingham Area Health Center patients are screened for food insecurity and offered emergency food bags when having trouble keeping healthy foods on their tables.

In her notification email, Anne Leyva, manager of Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund, stated “We would also like to acknowledge the efforts of your local giving fund advisory committee, whose recommendation was instrumental in securing this grant,” according to the release. She continued, “We applaud the work you are doing for your community, and it is indeed a pleasure to be among your current supporters.” Weyerhaeuser has a location on Main Street in Bingham.

Serving local families with food insecurity is an important addition to the mission of HealthReach. The group looks forward to continuing its efforts through its partnership with Good Shepherd Food Bank the largest hunger relief organization in Maine which provides for Mainers facing hunger by distributing nutritious food to more than 400 partner agencies across the state, including food pantries, meal sites, schools and senior programs, according to the release.

Together with its network, the food bank leads a statewide effort to combat the root causes of hunger by engaging in advocacy, nutrition education, and strategic partnerships, according to the release.

HealthReach Community Health Centers is a group of 11 federally qualified health centers in central and western Maine. Dedicated providers deliver high-quality medical and behavioral health care to citizens in more than 80 rural communities. according to the release.

To ensure access for everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare and major insurances. In addition, an Affordable Care Program is available to uninsured and underinsured residents as well as assistance with applications for programs that help with the cost of health care and medications including the Health Insurance Marketplace, according to the release.