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.