United Airlines Donates $5,000 to Food Bank of South Jersey’s Summer Meals Program

Blenda Riddick, Director of Corporate & Government Affairs for United Airlines, presents a $5,000 check for the Food Bank of South Jersey’s Summer Meals program to Lavinia Awosanya, Director of Strategic of Strategic Partnerships, Food Bank of South Jersey. (Photos provided)

United Airlines recently supported the Food Bank of South Jersey’s Summer Meals program by making a $5,000 donation to benefit five Summer Meal locations throughout Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties.

As part of its sponsorship, Blenda Riddick, director of corporate and government affairs for United Airlines, was on-hand at Sanitarium Playground of New Jersey to help serve children a fresh and nutritious lunch featuring chicken nuggets, celery, plums and milk. Located in Gloucester County, the site typically feeds 400 food insecure families a day.

Riddick also received a tour of The Playground, commonly known as Soupy Island, including details on its rich history, which dates back to the 1800s when it was created for children with tuberculosis who were staying in the local hospital.

“As a company, United Airlines believes in the importance of proper nutrition and that no child should go hungry,” said Riddick in a media release. “We are pleased to have offered our support to the Summer Meals initiative which helped feed over 140,000 children and applaud the extensive efforts the Food Bank of South Jersey has done within their local communities this summer.”

For 10 weeks in the Summer, the Food Bank’s Summer Meals program delivers fresh and nutritious meals to children in Burlington, Camden, Salem and Gloucester counties. Last year’s program provided 395,000 meals to 8,100 children and the Food Bank of South Jersey is hoping to grow that effort and provide half a million meals to children this summer.

“Food insecurity affects 57,000 children in South Jersey and many parents who rely on school meals to provide nourishment for their children are left with few options during the summer,” says Joe Njoroge, Interim President & CEO, Food Bank of South Jersey. “We are proud to be able to take some of the burden of replacing school-provided meals once summer hits through our Summer Meals program and we would not be able to do so without the support of our sponsors – we are grateful to each and every one of them.”

If you are interested in becoming a Summer Meals sponsor, please click here or email partner@foodbanksj.org.

About the Food Bank of South Jersey

The Food Bank of South Jersey (FBSJ) is the leader in providing safe and nutritional food to people in need throughout South Jersey. FBSJ distributes food, provides nutrition education and cooking courses, and helps food-insecure families and seniors find sustainable ways to improve their lives. In 2017, FBSJ provided over 13 million pounds of food to approximately 200,000 South Jersey residents. Providing community impact through local support, FBSJ ensures that local donations stay local. FBSJ is a member of Feeding America, our nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. To learn more visit: www.foodbanksj.org.