December 18, 2014
The Salem Health and Wellness Foundation (SHWF) and the Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) have announced $122,500 in grant awards to the following organizations. The grants come from the Salem Health and Wellness Fund at CFNJ, which was created as part of an alliance between SHWF and CFNJ to improve health and wellness in Salem County.
The Food Trust, $100,000, to support a 2-year pilot project of its Early Childhood Nutrition Education program in Salem County. The Early Childhood Nutrition Education program will be open to approximately 5 sites around our county that includes family daycare facilities, preschool centers as well as Head Start locations. This work will use The Food Trust’s existing farm to preschool toolkit as a vehicle for introducing physical activity and nutrition education into early childhood classrooms. The Foundation is excited to see this program teach children at a very early age to make healthier food choices.
Inspira Health Network, $15,000, to support a smoking cessation program. The 2012 County Health Profiles reports that 22.4% of Salem County residents are smokers, higher than the state average of 14.6%. Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists have created a program which offers smoking cessation sessions to individuals or groups of people who are looking to quit smoking with the support they need to become long-term non-smokers. Group sessions will run for 8-weeks, meeting 2 days a week for 60 minutes and will be individualized to fit the needs of the patients who are involved. To learn more about the smoking cessation program, contact Melanie Pirollo, director, Cancer Services 856-641-8675.
The Food Bank of South Jersey, $7,500, to support its Healthy Living Initiative’s Cooking Matters for Teens program at Salem High School. This program also includes nutrition outreach training for the teens participating in the cooking classes. The Food Bank and Foundation have partnered in the past bringing this successful program to Salem County. To learn more about the Food Bank of South Jersey’s Healthy Living initiative, go to: www.foodbanksj.org.
For more information about the Healthy Kids, Bright Futures Initiative, visit www.salemwellnessfoundation.org.
To learn more about the Community Foundation of New Jersey, which works with individuals, businesses, and organizations to simplify their giving and amplify their impact, visit their website: www.cfnj.org.