The Community Medical Center Foundation’s (CMCF) mission is to support the programs and services provided by Community Medical Center in Toms River. Using a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ), CMCF is helping the hospital offset the increased need for personal protective equipment (PPE), structural changes to combat the virus, and supplies.

For more than 55 years, Community Medical Center has been a trusted acute-care hospital offering state-of-the-art health and wellness services dedicated to the health and well-being of the Ocean County community.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Medical Center has invested heavily in PPE, equipment rentals such as ventilators and tents, prescription drugs, maintenance, repairs, and the creation of negative pressure rooms for COVID-19 positive patients.  

“Every contribution, regardless of size, will help during this time of need as we confront the effects of the global pandemic,” said CMCF Vice President Jennifer Shufran. “Ensuring the safe treatment of COVID-19 patients is quite expensive.  Health centers throughout our region are facing financial challenges, so we are grateful to CFSJ for this vital grant.  It will help save lives.”

“The hospital workers on the frontline fighting this virus need our support, and we are glad to be able to do our part to help these workers and keep them safe,” said CFSJ Executive Director Andy Fraizer. “The work Community Medical Center is doing to save lives and protect the community is admirable.”

The Community Medical Center has tested over 9,000 individuals in addition to an initiative to test all long-term care facilities in the area.  Community Medical Center has been able to discharge more than 550 COVID-19 patients who beat the virus and were healthy enough to go home.

The Community Foundation of South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund continues to respond to local nonprofits that need support to serve communities impacted by the pandemic.  To date, the Fund has received more than $1 million in donations but more is needed.  Grant requests from nonprofits have exceeded $6 million. To support the only such Fund where donations stay in our South Jersey region, visit www.southjerseyresponsefund.org.

The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Camden has been awarded $5,000 from the South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund, which is managed by the Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ). With support from CFSJ fund and others, the Kroc Center has provided tens of thousands of dollars worth of groceries and food to local residents since the pandemic’s onset. 

The Salvation Army New Jersey Division has experienced a four hundred percent increase in families seeking aid, including food,  statewide.  In order to meet the demand, The Salvation Army opened three warehouses located in Vineland, Red Bank, and Newark. At these locations, they receive and store food from New Jersey food banks in bulk. 

“We are so thankful that the Community Foundation of South Jersey was able to help fund our organization and support our families in need,” said Kroc Center Administrator Major Terry Wood, “The pandemic is not only an economic crisis but a mental health crisis caused by the stress residents are feeling.  We are working hard to help alleviate some of that stress as we provide help and hope. This grant surely helps.”

“Food access is a basic need. With the COVID-19 Response Fund,  we prioritized these triage needs,” said CFSJ Executive Director Andy Fraizer. “Now, more than ever, nonprofits such as the Kroc Center  need  help, and we are so proud of our South Jersey neighbors for stepping up to the challenge and providing the money needed to make our COVID-19 response possible.”

The South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund continues to assist local nonprofits that need support in order to serve communities impacted by the pandemic. To date, the Fund has raised over $1 million, but this is not enough to meet the overwhelming need.  Since March, CFSJ has gotten over $6 million in grant requests.  If you would like to support the only such Fund where donations stay in our South Jersey region, please visit www.southjerseyresponsefund.org.

UrbanPromise, a Christian non-profit youth organization in Camden, New Jersey, secured a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of South Jersey’s (CFSJ) COVID-19 Response Fund to supplement its Emergency Family Fund addressing financial hardships of families UrbanPromise serves. 

UrbanPromise continues to achieve its mission in the face of the pandemic via modified youth and family programming.   The nonprofit organization has transitioned its schools to online learning and enhanced the wellness team to provideemotional support for parents and students.

UrbanPromise suspended spring activities and pivoted programming to creative approaches such as the creation and distribution of survival kits containing food ingredients and recipes, seeds for those who wanted to start or add to their home garden, and the delivery of bikes to those who wanted to stay active.

“We are very grateful for the grant the Community Foundation of South Jersey was able to provide us during this difficult period,” said UrbanPromise President Bruce Main. “The spring season is a huge fundraising time for us and we had to cancel everything due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant enabled us to provide critical support to our families.”

“UrbanPromise’s mission to engage and build developmental assets for Camden youth and young adults supports strong families and deep community in Camden,” said CFSJ Executive Director Andy Fraizer. “This and every grant from the South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund is an investment in our neighbors during this difficult time.” .”

The South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund continues to support local nonprofits serving communities impacted by the pandemic.  South Jersey neighbors, businesses, and philanthropy donated more than $1 million to the Fund. However, South Jersey nonprofits requested more than $6 million.  If you would like to contribute to the only such fund where donations stay in our South Jersey region, please visit www.southjerseyresponsefund.org.