On Thanksgiving, Inspira Health volunteers delivered more than 700 prepared Thanksgiving meals to residents throughout South Jersey. The meals included the usual fixings of turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing—among other traditional dishes—for recipients and their families to enjoy during a convenient and nutritious holiday meal. Inspira’s initiative is aimed at combatting food insecurity in New Jersey. Nearly one million people in the Garden State are food insecure, including more than 11 percent of residents in Inspira’s primary service area of Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem counties.
Not all Thanksgiving meal recipients are food insecure. Many residents who requested meals have health and mobility issues, financial and transportation challenges or other limiting factors. Recipients who requested meals did so through several Inspira-led programs, including its Population Health department, LIFE Center, Dialysis, Wound Care, Behavioral Health, Cancer Services, Care Coordination, Social Work and local faith-based organizations.
Throughout Thanksgiving week, and over the many months of preparation leading up to the event, Inspira employees collectively volunteered hundreds of hours while giving back to their community through this holiday meal delivery program. Employees donated their time by helping prepare, package and eventually deliver the holiday meals for families across Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties. The initiative involved preparing and delivering more than 500 pounds of turkey, 215 pounds of green beans, 25 gallons of gravy, 215 pounds of mashed potatoes, 215 pounds of stuffing and more than 100 pies.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), food insecurity is defined as a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food. In 2023, 13.5 percent of households in the United States experienced food insecurity, which is about one in seven households. This is an increase of 3.2 million people from 2022. Food insecurity is increasing across many regions and may be long term or temporary. It may be influenced by a number of factors, including geography, race, income, employment, transportation options, and disability.
“As part of our mission to improve the health and lives of our community, it is paramount that we help combat the often silent but staggering prevalence and impact of food insecurity on South Jersey,” said Amy Mansue, president and CEO of Inspira Health. “Over the years, Inspira has proudly donated Thanksgiving meals to help nourish our neighbors during the holiday season. We are thankful for our employees who are passionate about helping our patients and volunteering to support this initiative outside of their daily obligations.”
“Our annual Thanksgiving Day Community Meal Delivery reflects the dedication and purposeful outreach across the organization to help patients, friends, and neighbors in need,” said April M. Venable, MBA, FACHE, senior vice president, Operations Strategy and Transformation. “From preparing these meals to spending time on Thanksgiving morning hand-delivering the meals to them, we are proud to make a lasting impact during the holiday season and all year round in a multitude of ways for the people of South Jersey.”
A 65+ year old female meal recipient residing in Mantua, NJ, who is not food insecure but suffers from mobility issues and is on a fixed income, has taken part in the program for several years.
The recipient, who is a great grandmother, is thrilled that this no-cost option exists for her and her multi-generational family of nine, all of whom live with her: “I just can’t appreciate this service any more by Inspira. I’m now able to provide my family a wonderful holiday meal when it would otherwise be extremely difficult. It’s so reassuring and heartwarming to see Inspira support the community like it does—especially at Thanksgiving.”
