THE VISION THAT STARTED IT ALL: A REFLECTION FROM FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ELLEN WARD
In the early 1980s, hunger in South Jersey was a quiet crisis, felt deeply by many but rarely addressed in a coordinated way. Ellen Ward, though, saw that need clearly and took action.
With determination, a used forklift, an old box truck, and a 33,000-square-foot warehouse in Camden, Ellen launched what would become the Food Bank of South Jersey. Alongside a small staff and a devoted corps of volunteers, she began building a system to get food to neighbors in need.
But from the beginning, she imagined something bigger. “Even then, we were thinking beyond the box,” she recalls, “about health, about wellness, about how to help people make the most of the food they had.”
On June 24, 2025, 40 years later, Ellen stood before a packed room at our anniversary event and saw that early vision come full circle.
“To see this Center for Health, Wellness, and Nutrition become a reality – it’s incredible. It’s a powerful reflection of how far the Food Bank has come, and how deeply it understands that solving hunger is about more than providing food. It’s about nourishing people, empowering communities, and creating lasting change.”
As Ellen said that day: We may be 40 years in, but in many ways, we’re just getting started. We’ll find new solutions, fill the gaps, and remain here to Feed South Jersey – for the next 40 years and beyond.
