Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Presents Award to Ultimate Medical Academy for Pack-A-Snack Efforts

TAMPA, Fla., December 6, 2017– The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office today presented an award to Ultimate Medical Academy for the nonprofit healthcare educational institution’s multi-year involvement with Pack-A-Snack and Deputy Charity Arthur’s food pantry project at Sergeant Smith Middle School, 14303 Citrus Pointe Drive, Tampa, Florida.

Ultimate Medical Academy was “recognized for their unwavering efforts to support Deputy Charity Arthur’s food pantry project. Thanks to their efforts, students and their families receive much needed help at their greatest time of need,” according to a HCSO Dec. 5, 2017 news release on the HCSO Quarterly Awards Ceremony, which highlighted outstanding HCSO personnel as well as other community individuals and businesses that have contributed above the call of duty.

“We are so thankful for community partners like Ultimate Medical Academy,” Danny Alvarez, HCSO spokesperson said. “If it wasn’t for them and the dedicated people who work there, Deputy Arthur and her mission to help families could not have been as successful as it was. Their efforts were instrumental and we could not be more grateful.”

Established in 2008, Pack-A-Snack is a community outreach program between schools, local businesses, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations.

Since 2013, a total of almost 200 staff members at Ultimate Medical Academy in Tampa and Clearwater, Florida have volunteered their time for Pack-A-Snack to assemble and deliver more than 27,000 healthy snack packs each Friday to food-insecure students at Tampa Bay area schools to take home on the weekends during the school year.

In 2015, Ultimate Medical Academy began partnering with Sergeant Smith Middle School and formed a relationship with Deputy Arthur who nominated the educational institution for the HCSO award. Ultimate Medical Academy also has provided Pack-A-Snacks to students at Melrose and Fairmont Park elementary schools in Hillsborough County and other students at schools in Pinellas County.

“As higher education healthcare institution, we know how important it is for students of any age to avoid going hungry and to have nutritious options,” said Matt Holland, senior facilities manager and Pack-A-Snack coordinator who accepted the award on behalf of Ultimate Medical Academy. “Our educational model seeks to address the external factors and individual challenges that students face in their pursuit of an education, so that everyone has an equal opportunity to reach his or her potential.”

Holland was joined by Soch Chay and Josephine O’Mallan Girdner, Online Admissions managers at Ultimate Medical Academy’s Online Operations, 9309 North Florida Avenue, who coordinate the Pack-A-Snack efforts for Sergeant Smith Middle School.

Each Pack-A-Snack from Ultimate Medical Academy typically includes a banana, apple and orange, as well as a bag of carrots. This requires additional coordination with local vendors to make sure the produce is fresh and delivered on time for the students.

Ultimate Medical Academy’s involvement with Pack-A-Snack is one of the many service projects and outreach initiatives the institution participates in each year. For more details about Ultimate Medical Academy’s involvement in the community, visit ultimatemedical.edu/about/community-outreach.