Ridgewood, NJ (November 20, 2019) – HealthBarn Foundation 501c3 was awarded the Gold level President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA), the country’s premiere volunteer award program, by Sue Ullrich, Ridgecrest Senior Housing, a PVSA certifying agency, at the 4th Annual Ridgewood Thanksgiving Elder Dinner. Stacey Antine, MS, RDN, Director of the Foundation, accepted the award for 2018 on behalf of 250 community volunteers who recorded over 3,500 hours and cooked over 9,000 nutritious meals, soups and snacks for families with children undergoing treatment for cancer distributed through Tomorrows Children’s Fund (TCF) at Hackensack University Medical Center and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, and Paterson. The Foundation also provided weekly Healing Meals soup and dessert deliveries to seniors in need at Ridgecrest and S.H.A.R.E, Inc. The award recognizes, celebrates, and holds up as role models Americans who make a positive impact as engaged and deeply committed volunteers.
The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes individuals, families and groups who have achieved a certain standard — measured by the number of hours served over a 12-month period. “Our community volunteers are committed to provide homemade, nutritious food when families and seniors need it most,” stated Stacey Antine, MS, RDN, Director, HealthBarn Foundation. “We rarely meet the people who we serve, but we know that Healing Meals fills a void during times of illness and aging and we hope it inspires other to get involved in their local communities,” added Antine.
The Foundation began in 2014 and has produced over 50,000 servings of homemade, nutritious Healing Meals with the support of community volunteers of all ages at the No Fuss Lunch donated kitchen in Hawthorne, NJ. Volunteers also include groups including Wyckoff Special Services, students from Bergen Academies, Northern Highlands and Indian Hills Interact Club, church and fitness clubs, and sport teams.
Support the Healing Meals program by making a donation at www.healthbarnfoundation.org.
HealthBarn Foundation is a New Jersey non-profit corporation and a federally recognized 501c3 public charity with a mission to gift families with ill children and seniors with healthy food through access and in conjunction with nutrition education. There are currently three initiatives that are being funded with generous support from the public including: Healing Meals, Garden-to-Table Scholarships and School Nutrition Education. Email [email protected] or call 201-444-2955 for more information.
CONTACT: Julia Sharkey-Buckley, MS, RDN
201-444-2955
[email protected]