Max Kursh, director of Community and Population Health at Cooper (left) accepts the donation from representatives of the Zallie Community Foundation.
Cooper University Health Care’s Community and Population Health team received a $25,000 grant from the Zallie Community Foundation to address a number of food insecurity initiatives.
The Cooper Community and Population Health team, which oversees Cooper’s community outreach efforts, will use the funds of this grant to launch a series of educational programs to raise awareness about nutrition, meal planning, and food resource management for patients and community members. The team will also enhance food access by providing transportation to and from these educational sessions and local grocery stores. Finally, the team will broaden the reach of the seasonal on-site farmers market at Cooper by creating a sustainable model for food access and education to patients and community members.
“We are grateful for the support of the Zallie Community Foundation as we work on a number of initiatives to address social determinants of health and to support families in our service area,” said Elizabeth Nice, MS, vice president of Cooper Care Alliance and Population Health at Cooper University Health Care.
“This grant will serve as a catalyst for expanding hunger-fighting initiatives with a multifaceted approach aimed at increasing health education, improving food accessibility, and providing more farm-fresh produce to the community,” said Max Kursh, director of Community and Population Health at Cooper. “This effort represents a significant step forward in Cooper Community Outreach’s ongoing commitment to creating a healthier and more food-secure community.”
The South Jersey-based Zallie Community Foundation helps communities thrive through direct grants, in-kind donations, and partnerships with local and regional non-profit organizations that encourage healthy living. The Zallie Community Foundation is a public charity dedicated to three core focus areas: health, hunger, and community connections.
“We feel privileged to be able to award this grant. This grant program, which awarded $200,000 total, is in honor of the 50th anniversary of Zallie Family Markets. The Zallie family has a long history of giving back to the communities that support their stores and we felt that a program of this magnitude was in order for such a momentous occasion. All of the awarded grants support food insecurity, nutrition insecurity, or nutrition education and we look forward to seeing Cooper University Health Care’s impactful program come to life,” said Kim Bezanis, executive director of the Zallie Community Foundation.
About Cooper University Health Care
Cooper University Health Care, with its MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper and affiliation with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, is a leading academic health system. Cooper has nearly 10,000 team members including 1,600 nurses, and more than 900 employed physicians and more than 500 advanced practice providers. Cooper University Hospital has been recognized as a top-performing regional hospital by U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-2024 Best Hospitals annual survey.
Cooper has revenues of more than $2 billion and has an “A-” rating from S&P Global Ratings and “A3” rating from Moody’s Investors Service. Cooper University Hospital is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in South Jersey and the busiest in the region. Nearly two million patients are served annually at Cooper’s 663-bed flagship hospital, outpatient surgery center, three urgent care centers, and more than 100 ambulatory offices throughout the community. Cooper has been named as one of America’s Best Employers by Forbes for three consecutive years.
The Cooper Health Sciences campus in Camden, New Jersey, is home to Cooper University Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper, and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. Visit CooperHealth.org to learn more.
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