"We are amazed each year at the quality of work from the groups nominated in the Voices of Health campaign, but also the passion of the people that support these groups"
HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aetna (NYSE: AET) announced today that Hosea Feed The Hungry and Homeless (HFTH) is the $30,000 grand prize winner of the 2013 Aetna Voices of Health campaign. This year's on-line voting competition recognized 33 U.S. organizations that share Aetna's goals of closing racial and ethnic health care inequality gaps and helping people live healthier lives.
HFTH is based in Atlanta and is one of the largest organizations in the Southeast providing direct services to homeless individuals and low-income families. The $30,000 grand prize will help support many of the services that HFTH provides, including food distribution, rental and utility assistance, counseling and employment assistance.
"We are amazed each year at the quality of work from the groups nominated in the Voices of Health campaign, but also the passion of the people that support these groups," said Tito Colon, head of Multicultural Marketing for Aetna. "Hosea Feed The Hungry and Homeless is one of the most respected non-profit organizations in the country and provides a wide range of services to people who truly need them the most. We are proud to support their important work and congratulate them on receiving the grand prize."
Through the Aetna Voices of Health campaign, people cast votes between August and October for their favorite nominated non-profit organization. HFTH received 151,337 votes this year to claim the grand prize. Mary's Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center that supports residents of Washington, D.C., won the $20,000 second place prize with 125,373 votes.
Overall, the 2013 Aetna Voices of Health campaign generated 562,043 votes. More than 1.9 million votes have been cast through the Voices of Health campaign over the past three years.
"We are honored to participate in the Voices of Health Campaign and are extremely grateful to our community for supporting us with their votes," said Mrs. Elisabeth Omilami, CEO of Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless. "We are fortunate enough to be able to provide programs and services to more than 61,000 people each year, and the grand prize will help us continue to lift people from poverty to self-reliance every day. For the last four years, we have focused on our Healthy Living program and this award will make sure the people in our communities are healthier. We thank Aetna on behalf of our community, and most importantly, the people we serve."
Aetna created the Voices of Health campaign in 2011 to honor groups that are working to improve people's health and well-being in their communities. The groups provide wellness locally by fighting conditions like asthma, diabetes and childhood obesity, which hit people of color at higher rates. You can see a video on this year's winning organization, find out information on other participants and learn more about the Voices of Health program at www.aetnavoicesofhealth.com.
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving an estimated 44 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services, workers' compensation administrative services and health information technology products and services. Aetna's customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg_SYnw3-vA
