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.
“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.
