One in six children struggle with hunger, but there is a way you can help. Piedmont Medical Center is leading a community effort to make sure families have a healthy breakfast during the summer months through its annual Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive. The drive kicks off Monday, June 9 and runs through Friday, June 20, 2025.

Piedmont Medical Center locations, along with area first responder agencies in York County will be collecting boxes of healthy cereal that will be donated to the non-profit agency, Pilgrims’ Inn in Rock Hill. Pilgrims’ Inn’s food pantry served more than 13,000 individuals in 2024 and leaders say they expect that number to be even higher this year.

Departments within Piedmont locations plan to battle it out to see who can collect the most cereal servings, all with the same goal in mind, to make sure families have access to a healthy breakfast during the summer months.

“At our hospitals, we understand that a healthy breakfast is crucial for the well-being of every person, especially children”, says Teresa Urquhart, Market CEO of Piedmont Medical Center. “With the need for food donations only increasing in our community, we are proud to once again host the Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive to help Pilgrims’ Inn. By providing nutritious breakfast options to those in need, we can help families start their day on the right track. I’d like to thank the community in advance for their generous donations that will make a difference in a child’s life.’

In 2024, the Piedmont Medical Center market donated more than 20,000 servings of healthy cereal to the food pantry at Pilgrims’ Inn.

“The cereal drive from Piedmont Medical Center is a blessing every summer and needed more than ever this year”, said Lemeila Crockett, Emergency Assistance Coordinator for Pilgrims’ Inn. Breakfast is the most important part of the day and since children are out of school for summer break, they may not have access to a healthy breakfast option. This drive meets that need. The donations can last Pilgrims ‘Inn up to six months and now with our pantry helping families throughout the state of South Carolina, the need for more healthy food options is crucial.”

The Healthy Over Hungry® initiative was founded in 2010 by registered nurse, Pam Taurence. Pam was a nurse at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit. Pam and her fellow nurses noticed that many of their youngest patients were losing access to school-based nutrition programs during the summer months. Pam rallied her fellow nurses and her community to help the children and families struggling with hunger, and out of that collaboration, the cereal drive was born. Since that time hospitals and facilities within Piedmont’s parent company, Tenet Healthcare have joined the fight, and have adopted their initiative company-wide, partnering with food banks and distribution centers across the country.

Healthy Cereal Drive drop-off locations: 

• Piedmont Medical Center – Rock Hill – 222 S. Herlong Ave., Rock Hill
• Women’s Center – Rock Hill – 222 Dr. Frank Gaston Blvd., Rock Hill
• Piedmont Heart & Vascular Center – 222 S. Herlong Ave., Rock Hill
• The Women’s Diagnostic Center – 218 S. Herlong Ave., Rock Hill
• Piedmont Medical Center – Fort Mill – 1000 Wellness Wy, Fort Mill
• Gold Hill Emergency Department – 995 Gold Hill Road, Fort Mill
• The Imaging Center at Baxter Village – 506 6^th Baxter Crossing, Fort Mill
• City of York Fire Department – 14 N. Roosevelt St, York
• Tega Cay Fire Department – 1195 Stonecrest Blvd, Tega Cay
• Fort Mill Fire Department – Station 1 – 121 Tom Hall St, Fort Mill
• Fort Mill Police Department - 112 Confederate St, Fort Mill
• Rock Hill Police Department - 120 E Black St, Rock Hill
• Clover Police Department – 112 Bethel St, Clover
• NAMI Piedmont Tri-County “The Hut” – 415 Oakland Ave. Rock Hill
• Tega Cay Police Department - 7705 Tega Cay Dr, Tega Cay

What’s cereal without milk? A nutritious breakfast also includes dairy, fruit, and vegetables, and a lean source of protein such as eggs. For those looking to support the Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive monetary, donations can be made June 9-20 to Pilgrims’ Inn by clicking here.

About Piedmont Medical Center

Piedmont Medical Center (PMC) is a 282-bed full-service, accredited Level III trauma hospital with a comprehensive heart and vascular center and level III NICU that serves York County and beyond. Recently PMC opened Piedmont Medical Center – Fort Mill, a 100-bed community hospital providing robotic surgical services, orthopedics, OB services, and a bariatric surgery program. PMC offers emergency services at three locations, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Gold Hill. PMC provides imaging services through the Women’s Diagnostic Center at PMC-Rock Hill and Baxter Village in Fort Mill.