Wawa Rolls Out New Coffee & Care Cart
WAWA, Pa. — A multimillion dollar gift from The Wawa Foundation brings the Wawa Coffee and Care Cart to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's (CHOP) Middleman Family Pavilion.
The cart — full of free coffee, tea, hot chocolate and a variety of cold Wawa beverages for patients, their families and employees — will round through the hospital as well as at CHOP's Specialty Care and Urgent Care centers on the King of Prussia campus.
"Our partnership with CHOP dates back to the hospital's origins when Dr. George B. Wood, one of Wawa's founding family members, was listed in the 1856 annual report," said Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens. "I am proud that The Wawa Foundation and our associates continue to grow our support and be actively involved in volunteering on the Wawa Coffee and Care Cart as it is truly part of our company culture and provides a meaningful experience for everyone involved."
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Earlier this year, CHOP announced a $6.15 million commitment from The Wawa Foundation to bring the cart to the King of Prussia campus and expand the Wawa Volunteer Services program.
"Over the past 30 years, more than 2 million cups of coffee, hot chocolate, tea, juices and other beverages have been served from Wawa Coffee and Care Carts at CHOP, and thousands of Wawa volunteers have offered support to our patients and families," said Madeline Bell, president and CEO of CHOP. "We are grateful to Wawa for their longstanding support of our volunteer program and for helping to ensure that our patients, families and staff have an exceptional experience at CHOP."
The unveiling event included the cart's inaugural trip through the Middleman Family Pavilion, remarks from CHOP and Wawa leadership, and personal stories from those who have been impacted by volunteerism.
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"We were inpatient at CHOP for months with my son, Shawn, before being diagnosed, moving from unit to unit. There was a lot of uncertainty and fear in our lives but there were a few constants that provided reassurance and consistency — one being the Wawa Coffee and Care Cart," said Jennifer Scales, mother of a CHOP oncology patient and who serves on CHOP's Family Advisory Council. "Getting a bottle of Wawa iced tea provided Shawn, and our whole family, a sense of normalcy during a challenging time full of unknowns. The cart was a great source of comfort and kindness during various stints in the hospital we had throughout the years. It provided us warm smiles, friendly faces and hope, and we're so grateful the cart will now be available at King of Prussia."
Along with establishing the Wawa Coffee and Care Cart for the Middleman Family Pavilion, the gift from The Wawa Foundation will enable the purchase and upgrade of coffee makers, single serve brewing systems, pods and other accessories to provide a warm drink to employees, patient families and visitors. It will also provide funding for the reception area of a Family Resource Center in the new patient tower on CHOP's Philadelphia campus, scheduled to open in 2028.
"We have a strong and long-standing partnership with CHOP, and we are proud to deliver another care cart to the Middleman Family Pavilion to reach and impact even more patients and families," said Maria Kalogredis, chair of The Wawa Foundation. "At Wawa, we are committed to building stronger communities. We take pride in being a small part of brightening the days of the patients served on CHOP's King of Prussia campus."
A nonprofit, charitable organization, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network, which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as an inpatient hospital with a dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia.
Since its inception in 2014, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation have contributed more than $136 million to nonprofits serving communities in the focus areas of health, hunger and everyday heroes.
Pennsylvania-based Wawa operates 1,000 c-stores throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The company has broken ground on locations in North Carolina and Alabama — Wawa's first forays into those states. The retailer has plans to double its footprint within the next decade.