Press Release

WARSAW — To help address hunger in the community and in celebration of National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day on April 2, Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital collected 1,754 jars of peanut and other nut butters for Combined Community Services.

The jars were donated by LKH employees, medical staff members, volunteers and community members during a recent Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive, which was launched to help support neighbors facing food insecurity — a social determinant of health.

“Food insecurity has a significant impact on a person’s overall health and well-being,” said Lynn Mergen, chief executive officer for LKH. “Through our Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive, we are working to help fight hunger in our community. Our generous medical staff, the Walsh Construction team working on our expansion, community members, and employees really stepped up and exceeded our donation expectations.”

CCS serves hundreds of families a month and peanut butter is one of the high-demand food items food banks can provide to offer a protein source that has an extended shelf life.

All Lutheran Health Network hospitals participated in the drive, collecting a total of 3,451 jars of nut butters that were donated to area food banks in Fort Wayne, Warsaw, Peru and Bluffton.