Comic Relief and Children’s Health Fund share a common goal of ending child poverty. And in the spirit of this common cause, we couldn’t be more excited about partnering with Comic Relief/Red Nose Day for our fourth year in a row!

Children’s Health Fund is the largest provider of mobile based primary care for underprivileged children in the USA. In 2017 we marked 30 years of service and celebrated delivery of our 4 millionth doctor visit. Together with Comic Relief and our other partners, last year we reached more children, with more services, in more locations than at any time in our organization’s history.

This year’s Red Nose Day season officially kicked off with its “Hometown Heroes,” event in Chicago on April 9th. The “Hometown Heroes,” initiative highlights local partner programs acting on a global mission. We were delighted to participate in the first of Red Nose Day’s “Hometown Heroes,” events with Chicago native and Comedian, Calvin Evans. As he joined the team on the “Big Blue Bus,” Calvin helped caregivers from our Chicago Program give tours to Walgreens employees, activate engagement, and share stories to demonstrate where the good goes. The celebration continued as our CEO, Dennis Walto, joined a local school’s Red Nose Day Rally to continue to paint the Windy City red.

Children’s Health Fund’s West Virginia program also joined the Red Nose Day movement as pediatrician, Isabel Pino, invited local Walgreens employees to one of the elementary school sites her program serves. The Walgreens team packed up supplies and shared them with the kids as they created their own healthy snacks. Showing children that people care about their needs fosters a lot of hope, happiness, and heart. It was truly an amazing day that the children will remember.

Hometown Heroes… On the front lines of fighting poverty in Chicago, in West Virginia, and across the country. We could not be more proud of the work we are doing together.

At the end of the day it will take all of us, doing all we can, to end child poverty.  And no, we don’t have a magic spell, but we do have Red Noses… lots of them! Please visit a Walgreens store to purchase a Red Nose and join our fight against childhood poverty.

If we can together commit to going Nose-to-Nose with poverty, together, I know we can win!

Photo credit: Roark Johnson