When Derrick Hough, now a pastoral care chaplain at AdventHealth DeLand, returned to Edith I. Starke Elementary School in DeLand, he was reminded of his own early school days walking the same hallways. This time, Hough’s visit marked a different purpose: handing out backpacks to students as part of a community outreach effort.
Hough described the experience as meaningful. “Going back to the school gave me a deep sense of fulfillment,” he said. “It felt like closing a circle — reaching back to the place that shaped me and helping kids feel prepared for the year ahead. Sometimes, a simple backpack can carry a message that you belong, that someone believes in you.”
This summer, AdventHealth employees donated about 2,500 backpacks filled with school supplies including folders, crayons, and pencils. The initiative aimed to support students who might otherwise lack these materials at the start of the academic year. Backpacks were distributed across nearly 70 elementary schools in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties through partnerships with local nonprofit organizations.
Research indicates that students who begin school with adequate supplies are less likely to miss class and more likely to achieve academically.
Rob Deininger, CEO of AdventHealth East Florida Division, commented on the broader impact of such efforts: “Health doesn’t just happen in hospital rooms,” he said. “It shows up in whether kids can focus in class because they have what they need, or whether parents can exhale knowing their child is ready for school. These backpacks carry more than supplies. They carry encouragement.”
AdventHealth’s involvement with local schools goes beyond distributing supplies. The organization works throughout the year on programs addressing food insecurity and chronic absenteeism by providing healthy snacks and funding bicycles for students lacking transportation options.
Every three years, AdventHealth conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment by surveying neighborhoods, schools, and churches to identify key concerns among residents. Findings from this assessment guide community initiatives such as backpack drives and free after-school meals.
Deininger emphasized the health system’s commitment: “We’re part of this community,” he said. “Whether through backpacks, nutritious food or programs that remove barriers to learning, our goal is to support our neighbors and help them thrive.”
The recent distribution effort involved several AdventHealth teams from various locations preparing supplies before the start of classes.
AdventHealth Orlando is located in Orlando, Florida and was founded in 1908. It serves as both a pediatric facility and training hospital under its current president Terry Shaw.
