Burlington County announces $290,000 in grants to fight hunger and food insecurity
Burlington County is stepping up its efforts to combat hunger and food insecurity with the announcement of the first six awards from its new $1 million grant program to assist local food programs. The Burlington County Commissioners announced the grants, totaling more than $290,000, today during a visit to the Virtua Eat Well Food Farmacy, which is receiving a $75,000 grant.
In 2020, over 31,000 Burlington County residents were considered food insecure due to lack of consistent access to adequate, healthy foods. “These grants will help support those organizations on the front lines in the fight against hunger and food insecurity,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “Aiding them will help improve access to healthy foods throughout our county and ensure those residents who need assistance can obtain the nutrition they and their families need.”
The Virtua Eat Well Food Farmacy, with locations in Virtua Mount Holly Hospital and the Virtua Health & Wellness Center in Camden, enrolls patients with diet-impacted health conditions into a free six-month program that includes nutrition education, social services support, and access to fresh produce and shelf-stable groceries. In 2023, the program helped support 782 patients from Burlington County.
In addition to Virtua’s program, grants were also awarded to the Burlington Township Food Pantry, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Food Bank of South Jersey, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, and Oaks Integrated Care to support their food assistance efforts in the county.
The grant program, launched this spring, makes nonprofits providing food assistance to Burlington County residents eligible for grants up to $75,000 until the $1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding is exhausted. Grants can be used to purchase and distribute food or acquire equipment like stoves, freezers, coolers and shelving.
The program expands on the county’s food assistance efforts that began in early 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included partnering with the Food Bank of South Jersey to distribute food to nearly 48,000 individuals over more than 40 events. State legislators applauded the county’s ongoing commitment to fighting food insecurity.
Funding is still available and nonprofits can request an application by emailing BurlCoFood@cgph.net or calling 609-795-2503.
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Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story, which was reviewed and edited by NJ Advance Media staff.