UnitedHealthcare donates new winter coats to families at Denver Rescue Mission


Just in time for snow, families at the Denver Rescue Mission recently received new winter coats. The coats were donated by UnitedHealthcare, and Denver Broncos offensive guard Dalton Risner was on hand to help with distribution.

A winter coat is something that many take for granted, but for some this necessity is often hard to come by. Staying warm is an important issue for people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity, especially in Colorado. To help ensure families can stay warm and active all winter long, UnitedHealthcare funded 200 new winter coats to the Mission, through a $10,000 gift.

Employee volunteers from UnitedHealthcare helped families with sizing and handed out the new coats at the event. Helping families at the Denver Rescue Mission is part of Dalton’s wider support of the program. Through his Risner Up Foundation, he provides funding for kids in the Mission’s STAR Transitional Program so they can pursue extracurricular activities.

“One thing I love to do is to use this platform to do good,” Dalton said. “You have this platform being an NFL football player. I worked very hard to get here, I had a lot of help to get here, but at the same time, I want to use this platform to be a good person.”

Dalton said working with groups like the Denver Rescue Mission is important to him because of his own upbringing in Colorado. During the coat giveaway, he spoke of the hardships he faced growing up and his desire to be an ambassador to the community that supported him.

The donation is part of UnitedHealthcare’s commitment to supporting at-risk populations and investing in Colorado communities. This is the third time that Dalton and UnitedHealthcare have teamed up for an event benefiting Denver families.

“We are very pleased to contribute in this way to the community,” said Patrick Gordon, CEO of Rocky Mountain Health Plan and VP, Community & State (Medicaid) for UnitedHealthcare in Colorado. “Making connections like this in the community with partners like the Denver Rescue Mission is what we are all about.”

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