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Food Bank of South Jersey Celebrates Virtua Health as 2021 Feeding South Jersey Champion

PENNSAUKEN, NEW JERSEY – The Food Bank of South Jersey (FBSJ) is pleased to announce it will honor longtime partner Virtua Health with the Feeding South Jersey Champion Award at its annual Viva South Jersey Gala on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, recognizing Virtua Health’s visionary actions, steadfast support and inspirational compassion to championing against food insecurity in South Jersey.

Virtua Health is a leading, not-for-profit health system with five hospitals and more than 280 other locations across Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties.

Throughout the past decade, Virtua Health has fiercely committed to the fight against hunger in the Garden State through consistent and meaningful community leadership and financial support, as well as generous volunteerism to strengthen the Food Bank of South Jersey’s core mission of providing life-sustaining nutrition, every day wellness and sustainable food resources to South Jersey’s most food-vulnerable populations.

“We are inspired by Virtua Health’s significant strides in the fight against hunger in South Jersey, and the organization’s steadfast support of the Food Bank of South Jersey as we work to fight food insecurity and create pathways for a food-secure and wellness sustainable community,” reports Fred C. Wasiak, President and CEO, Food Bank of South Jersey. “Virtua Health has worked alongside us to eradicate the daily disaster of hunger suffered by tens of thousands of South Jersey households – we are extremely honored to celebrate and commend them for their commitment to feeding South Jersey.”

Virtua Health has been a loyal supporter of the Food Bank of South Jersey’s mission to eradicate food insecurity in the Garden State, contributing more than 1,000 volunteer hours to FBSJ’s vital food-distribution programs, and giving funding support that’s equivalent of more than 100,000 meals for South Jersey.

Earlier this year, Virtua Health revealed the latest component of its deep commitment to supporting food access in South Jersey, its Eat Well Mobile Grocery Store. This year-round, 40-foot store-on-wheels is the newest addition to Virtua’s portfolio of programs that position food as a form of medicine. The only mobile grocery store in the Delaware Valley region, it is one of few nationwide with a mission to improve access to healthy food and reduce food insecurity.

“We are honored to receive this recognition, and very proud of our work with the Food Bank of South Jersey’s critical food distribution programs and other services over the years,” said Dennis W. Pullin, FACHE, president and CEO of Virtua Health.

“Virtua recognizes the connection between food access and health, and has become a national leader in reimagining how health systems can reduce food insecurity on the local level,” he explained. “Virtua’s

Eat Well Mobile Grocery Store and Eat Well Mobile Farmers Market mean that our neighbors in South Jersey, regardless of what ZIP code they call home or whether they own a car, can have access to the healthy and affordable foods they deserve.”

For strides to bring healthy nutrition to food-deprived neighborhoods and steadfast commitment to partnering with the Food Bank of South Jersey to fight food insecurity, the Food Bank of South Jersey celebrates Virtua Health as the 2021 Feeding South Jersey Champion.

Viva South Jersey logo

ABOUT VIVA SOUTH JERSEY 2021
The Food Bank of South Jersey’s annual Viva South Jersey Gala takes place virtually on Thursday, November 18, at 7:00 p.m. with information available at www.foodbanksj.org. This year’s gala theme – South Jersey Assemble to Fight Hunger – will be hosted by public speaker and author Katie Fehlinger. To become a sponsor or to show your support by attending the event, learn more or register for the event, visit foodbanksj.org/vivasj.

ABOUT FOOD BANK OF SOUTH JERSEY
Marking its 36th year in 2021, the Food Bank of South Jersey (FBSJ) is the leader in providing safe and nutritional food to people in need throughout South Jersey. FBSJ distributes food, provides nutrition education and cooking courses, and helps food-insecure families and seniors find sustainable ways to improve their lives. During 2020, with COVID-19 bringing school closures, stay-at-home orders, record-breaking unemployment and rising poverty, FBSJ distributed more than 22.5 million pounds of food – the equivalent of over 18.7 million meals – throughout four-county region of impact, increasing its partner agency network to over 200 and serving over 95,000 food-insecure South Jersey residents each month, including the distribution of nearly one million nutritious breakfasts and lunches to South Jersey’s food-insecure children and youths. To learn more, visit foodbanksj.org. On Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, follow the Food Bank of South Jersey @foodbankSJ.

ABOUT VIRTUA HEALTH
Virtua Health is committed to helping the people of South Jersey be well, get well, and stay well by providing the complete spectrum of advanced, accessible, and trusted health care services. Virtua’s 14,000 colleagues provide tertiary care, including a renowned cardiology program, complemented by a community-based care portfolio. In addition to five hospitals, two satellite emergency departments, 27 ambulatory surgery centers, and more than 280 other locations, Virtua brings health services directly into communities through home health, rehabilitation, mobile screenings, and its paramedic program. Virtua has 2,850 affiliated doctors and other clinicians, and its specialties include orthopedics, advanced surgery, and maternity. Virtua is affiliated with Penn Medicine for cancer and neuroscience, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for pediatrics. As a not-for-profit, Virtua is committed to the well-being of the community and provides innovative outreach programs that address social challenges affecting health, most notably the “Eat Well” food access initiative, which includes the unparalleled Eat Well Mobile Grocery Store. A Magnet-recognized health system ranked by U.S. News and World Report, Virtua has received many awards for quality, safety, and its outstanding work environment. For more information, visit Virtua.org. To help Virtua make a difference, visit GiveToVirtua.org.

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