There was a common thread as county officials came together to announce the first of six grants to fight food insecurity;”Good food is medicine.”
“We know that eating well is nutrition for our bodies,” state Assemblywoman Andrea Katz said. “It makes us feel better, it is medicine. Good food is medicine; they go hand in hand.”
More than 31,000 Burlington County residents were considered food insecure in 2020, according to Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson.
“Every one of us probably knows someone who is probably food insecure,” she explained. “They are our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends, and even some of our family members.
“We cannot sit aside and ignore this problem – and we are not.”
The county partnered during COVID with the Food Bank of South Jersey to create a drive-thru food pantry each month where residents could receive free groceries and fresh produce, prepared meals and dairy items.
“Close to 48,000 received assistance from more than 40 food distributions we held during the health crisis and after,” Hopson recounted. “We’re proud of what we accomplished, but there are still many families that we can assist who are struggling with rising food prices and increases in other household expenses.
“Inflation has impacted not-for-profit organizations that are on the frontlines of fighting hunger.”
Hopson added that with federal funding from the American Rescue Act, county commissioners created a grant program specifically designed to help support those organizations.
Commissioners also announced the first six awards totaling $290,000 from the county’s new $1 million grant to assist food programs during a visit to Virtua Eat Well Food Farmacy at Virtua Mount Holly Hospital on Aug. 22. The facility will get $75,000 to support its effort to combine education about nutrition and health, good lifestyles, social services referrals and food assistance for its patients.
“Your generosity allows us to make a meaningful difference in lives of individuals that we service and are committed to serving,” noted Stephanie Fendrick, Virtua executive vice president and chief strategy officer.
” … It is not enough for us to intervene when people are ill or injured,” she added. “Instead, we want to be a lifelong partner in health, and clearly food is such an important part of it.”
The Virtua Food Farmacy opened five years ago and has supported more than 1,000 patients. It is one of several food access programs at Virtua; in 2023, its helped support 782 patients in the county.
“It is a resource for our patients who are experiencing hardship with affording food,” Fendrick said. “Not only do they get to shop for free here, they can also enroll in nutritional counseling on how to prepare the foods to fuel the body, provide culturally informed recipes, how to combine different ingredients to make something really nutritious and then provide connections to others and social support services.”
In addition to the Eat Well Food Farmacy, the commissioners announced five additional grants for the following organizations:
- Burlington Township Food Pantry: $17,790 for the purchase of a new indoor cooler
- Jewish Family and Children’s Services: $25,000 to support operations of a food pantry that serves county residents.
- Food Bank of South Jersey: $75,000 to support Hope Mobile food and school pantries that serve county residents.
- Prince of Peace Lutheran Church: $22,500 to support a community food pantry and summer kids’ program.
- Oaks Integrated Care: $75,000 for the Mount Holly food pantry.
The Burlington County Grants for Food Banks and Food Pantries Grants program was launched by the commissioners this spring in response to the continuing need for food assistance. All nonprofits providing that assistance to county residents are eligible to apply for grants up to $75,000 until funding is exhausted.
A total of $1 million in federal aid from the American Rescue Plan Act was appropriated for that program. Grants can be used to purchase and distribute food or acquire or upgrade equipment such as stoves, freezers, coolers and shelving.
Funding is still available. Nonprofits interested in applying for a grant can request an application by emailing BurlCoFood@cgph.net
