Source: Ryan Alves, The News-Enterprise
A group of Hardin Memorial Hospital employees found a way to build team work and give back to the community at the same time Thursday. 
Eleven staff members in the human resources and employee health and wellness department spent the day packing bags of food for Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland that will be distributed around Kentucky.
At the organization’s volunteer packing center at 300 Peterson Drive in Elizabethtown, the human resources group from HMH filled 598 bags of food which will feed 400 families.
Nichole Casey, human resources assistant at HMH, was the brainchild behind the partnership.
“We were looking for new ways to volunteer in the community,” Casey said. “I thought since we work so much together in human resources this would be a great way to build our teamwork.”
The group worked side-by-side in an assembly line fashion, filling bags with food and drinks.
One bag held orange juice, tomato soup, pears and cranberry juice. Another held mashed potatoes, chicken, green beans and corn.
The HMH staffers filled five pallets Thursday.
“It was a great way to use our time helping those that are less fortunate while having a few laughs along the way,” Vice President of Human Resources Myra Covault said. “It was a win-win, really.”
Feeding America is a charitable organization that receives donated food from food-producing companies and other charity drives, breaks it down and distributes it to 42 different counties in Kentucky.
Gary Miles, executive director of Feeding America, said 200 different food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters are the recipients of the food.
“We also have a backpack program that feeds 6,000 kids and we served food boxes to about 7,000 seniors every month,” Miles said.
Though it was the human resources department’s first time helping, partnering with HMH is nothing new.
Amber Lyvers, development director at Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland, said last year 11 different groups of HMH employees logged 425 hours of volunteer time at the center.
“And they also donated 12,118 pounds of food last year, most of that being hams and turkeys at the holidays, as well as a food drive,” Lyvers said. “It’s been fantastic” working with HMH.
