Community January 28, 2010
YNHH continues to honor Martin Luther King
Beginning in the early ‘90s, Yale-New Haven Hospital honored the legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., slain civil rights leader, with a special program each January in remembrance of his birthday.
Last year, the MLK Committee decided to use the resources previously spent on the annual celebration to honor Dr. King with a program of awards to high school students and educational grants to elementary schools in New Haven.
This past summer, YNHH awarded the first $1,000 MLK Community Service Awards to three New Haven students who set an example in the community. In December, YNHH awarded $3,000 in MLK Educational Grants to three New Haven schools. The 2009 award recipients were the Benjamin Jepson School which received $725 to buy books; Fair Haven School, $1,000 for workshops on diversity; and Wexler-Grant School, $1,275 for workshops on Martin Luther King Day.
"The community has reacted positively to how we now honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King," said Patricia Worthy, RN, manager, Workforce Diversity, and cochair of the MLK Committee. "Our employees — many of whom live in New Haven — are proud of our efforts to invest in the schools and students who are carrying on Dr. King’s work and philosophy. Through our MLK awards and grants, we are helping to find and encourage the next generation of community leaders."
In the photo: Representatives from the three schools receiving MLK educational grants recently visited YNHH for the check presentation. From left: Dee Melio, program coordinator, Community and Government Relations; Jeanne Lawrence, library media specialist, Jepson School; Patricia Worthy; Michael Soares, teacher, Fair Haven; and Sondi Jackson, speech pathologist, Wexler-Grant.
