WellCare Sponsors Support School Meal Kick-Off Event to Address Food Insecurity in Wake County

RALEIGH, N.C. and TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 22% of North Carolina children under the age of 18 live in food-insecure households. To help address food insecurity, WellCare of North Carolina, Inc., a WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) company, donated $5,000 to the NC Partnership for Child Nutrition (NCPCN) to sponsor the organization's Support School Meal Kick-off event on Aug. 23.

NCPCN, a nonprofit organization created to enable a positive and sustainable impact on school nutrition, has launched its Support School Meals campaign, which aims to ensure every child chooses to have a nutritious meal at school. According to NCPCN, 100% of funds raised will support capacity-building, direct purchases and overall support of the public school system's child-feeding goals.

On Aug. 23, NCPCN will host the Support School Meal Kick-off at Moore Square Park in Raleigh, North Carolina from 5-9 p.m. The family-friendly event will offer free food, music and fun activities for families. Additionally, more than 50 Wake County restaurants are participating in this campaign by offering a special donation option throughout the month of September, with all proceeds going to support NCPCN's efforts of increasing participation in school lunches across the county.

"At WellCare, we understand how difficult it is to prioritize your health when you can't put food on the table. Research shows children in food-insecure households are more likely to experience lower physical functioning, more frequent mental health problems and poorer overall health outcomes," said Dr. Eugenie M. Komives, WellCare's chief medical officer in North Carolina. "We are deeply committed to addressing food insecurity and are thrilled to partner with NCPCN to help North Carolina children and families have a healthy, successful school year."

For more information about NCPCN and the Support School Meal Kick-off, visit www.supportschoolmeals.org.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses primarily on providing government-sponsored managed care services to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, as well as individuals in the Health Insurance Marketplace. WellCare serves approximately 6.3 million members nationwide as of June 30, 2019. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com.

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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.