UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee, Healthy Tennessee and Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee are partnering to provide free health screenings – including children’s wellness physicals, adult diabetes screenings and blood pressure checks – and a mobile food pantry distribution event this Saturday, October 29, 2016 beginning at 11 a.m. at The Gathering Church.

The Mobile Pantry Program acts as a temporary hunger relief site at churches and non-­‐profit organizations that do not have a full time hunger-­‐relief program. The October 29 mobile pantry event will take place at The Lord’s Child located at the Gathering Church, 8769 Chapman Highway, in Knoxville where a tractor‐trailer load of food will be delivered and distributed to those in the local community who  need it.

“Partnering with United Health to bring free health fairs across the great state of Tennessee over the past several years has been an honor,” said Manny Sethi, M.D., founder of Healthy Tennessee. “Together, we have made tremendous strides in helping to make Tennessee healthier, and we are proud to participate once again in such a worthy cause here in Knoxville.”

At 11 a.m. EDT, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee Executive Director Amy Johnston Little will present a $50,000 donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee Executive Director Elaine Streno to support Second Harvest’s hunger relief efforts throughout 18 Tennessee counties.

One in six people in East Tennessee lives in poverty and has difficulty meeting basic needs. Among children in East Tennessee, one in five is at risk of going hungry each day, and the need among senior citizens also continues to rise.