Raising a Glass for Healthy Food Access
Meet Howard Peterson, founder and managing partner of TRG Healthcare
25 years, 25 stories
The annual Uncorked for Kids wine auction is one of Philadelphia’s best parties, says Howard Peterson, who helped establish the charitable event almost a decade ago. But it’s not just the food — or the spectacular wines — that make the evening memorable for him; it’s the organizations that the auction supports. For the last eight years, proceeds have benefited The Food Trust along with the Drueding Center, a transitional housing program in Philadelphia.
“The theme between the two organizations we have supported is the whole issue of childhood obesity,” says Howard, founder and managing partner of TRG Healthcare. He saw homeless and formerly homeless families at Drueding Center struggling to get back on their feet. “You think about all of the challenges they have. Then you pile obesity on top of all of that. Obesity is one of the huge contributing factors to the health difficulties and health costs we have in this country.”
The wine auction is an opportunity to educate people about the issue of childhood obesity and efforts to address it, as well as a chance to connect the nonprofits to a network of supporters. It has also brought the two organizations together to provide healthy foods and nutrition education to homeless mothers with young children at Drueding Center.
Planning is now under way for the 2017 Uncorked for Kids event to support this work. “These organizations are committed to helping the most vulnerable children in the city,” Howard says.