A $35,000 donation from the HCA Healthcare Foundation will help expand food access and nutrition support for families in Cupertino and throughout the West Valley area, addressing a growing need, as food insecurity continues to affect Santa Clara County.
The donation, made through the foundation’s Healthier Tomorrow Fund and facilitated by Good Samaritan Hospital, was awarded to West Valley Community Services. The funding will support food distribution programs that serve Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, West San Jose and surrounding communities, including mobile food pantries, supplemental grocery programs and resources tailored to residents’ nutritional and cultural needs.
“Access to nutritious food is one of the most basic building blocks of health and well‑being,” said Patrick Rohan, chief executive officer of Good Samaritan Hospital. “This donation ensures that families in communities like Cupertino can access reliable food resources with dignity and care.”
Food insecurity remains an ongoing challenge countywide, with thousands of children and adults experiencing periods when they do not have enough to eat. Local nonprofits have reported increased demand for services as more households turn to food assistance programs to meet basic needs.
West Valley Community Services Executive Director Sujatha Venkatraman said the donation will help the organization expand its reach and better support families facing hardship. “Reliable access to food changes lives,” Venkatraman said. “This contribution allows us to serve more individuals and families across the West Valley while improving long‑term health outcomes.”
This year’s contribution was made possible through Good Samaritan Hospital’s winning entry in HCA Healthcare’s Healthier Foods for Healthier Tomorrows food drive sculpture competition. The hospital’s winning entry, a life‑sized house from the movie Up, built from more than 1,000 canned goods, will also be donated to West Valley Community Services to directly support local food access efforts.
