Premier Health Contributes Gift to Assist Neighbors of Gem City Market

A Membership Match Program Will Aid 800 Families

DAYTON, Ohio (March 7, 2019) – Premier Health announced today a second gift to Gem City Market for the creation of a Membership Match program for the surrounding neighbors of the Gem City Market and for Premier Health employees. This contribution will provide $50 vouchers for 800 families, a total gift of $40,000. 

This latest gift is in addition to a five-year, $400,000 commitment that the health system made to the Gem City Market in late 2017.

“We have every confidence that the leaders of Gem City Market – and the community support that they are rallying – will move the needle on food hardship in our community,” said Mary Boosalis, president and CEO of Premier Health. “We’re pleased to expand our support to help the market’s neighbors become member-owners through the purchase of memberships.”

The Membership Match program will pay half of the cost of a $100 membership. Eligible participants must live in select ZIP codes – 45402, 45405, 45406, 45416, 45417 and 45426 – and/or be a Premier Health employee. The program will begin taking applications on March 7, 2019.

 “We are tremendously excited about this new initiative and appreciative of Premier’s continued support. Increasing ownership opportunities is directly aligned with the Gem City Market’s mission and furthers our work turning this community vision into a reality,” said Ambassador Tony Hall, Founder, Hall Hunger Initiative.

The Gem City Market is scheduled to open in 2020 on Salem Avenue just across the Great Miami River from Downtown. The grocery store’s opening comes at a crucial time for Dayton. A 2018 report from the Food Research and Action Center ranked Dayton in the bottom quartile (26th worst out of 120 cities) for “food hardship” among families with children, with one if five families reporting trouble obtaining enough healthy food. “Food hardship” means that, at some point during the year, the household had limited access to an adequate supply of food due to a lack of resources.

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