Philadelphia-Area Advertisers Collaborate to Feed Children in Need

CAMDEN, N.J., March 26, 2015 /3BL Media/ – Local Philadelphia area advertisers, including the New Jersey Education Association, Holy Family University, ACME and Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, have partnered with CBS EcoMedia to fund weekend meals for Camden students through Blessings in a Backpack.

To celebrate the partnership, a special school tour and backpack-stuffing event was held today at Henry L. Bonsall Elementary School in Camden, N.J. Financial support through EcoMedia’s WellnessAd program will feed 150 children at Bonsall Elementary School for three years.

Every weekend, children across the country go hungry because they don’t have enough food to eat. Thirty-one million students in the United States qualify for the Federal Free and Reduced Price Meal Program, and within the Camden City School District, approximately 95% of students are eligible for free lunches. While that program provides food during the week, these students often have little or no means of obtaining food on weekends. Blessings in a Backpack is a 501(c)(3) volunteer organization that provides food for more than 72,000 elementary school children across 44 states on weekends during the school year, filling a significant hunger gap for these children.

At Bonsall Elementary School, program coordinators and local volunteers will pack and deliver bags full of food for 150 Bonsall students to take home for the weekend. This program will provide meals for three full school years. Backpack food includes easy-to-prepare, ready-to-eat foods, like granola bars, juice boxes, mac and cheese, and oatmeal.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with CBS EcoMedia and all of the supporting advertisers on this project. This is the second Camden, N.J. program we are able to open thanks to their generous support,” said Nikki Grizzle, Director of Public Relations and Marketing for Blessings in a Backpack. “It is because of partnerships like the one we have with EcoMedia that we are able to continue to feed the future of America.”

“As educators, we know that there are many outside factors that affect a child’s ability to learn,” said NJEA President Wendell Steinhauer. “In economically disadvantaged cities, we know that too many of our students depend on their schools for meals and go hungry on the weekends. NJEA is thankful to have the opportunity to support Blessings in a Backpack so that these students have access to food when they need it most.”

“Blessings in a Backpack programs work to combat and prevent hunger among students who are most vulnerable,” said Paul Polizzotto, Founder and President, CBS EcoMedia. “We’re grateful to NJEA, Holy Family University, ACME and Hand & Stone for helping to solve this problem by feeding local Camden students.”

About Blessings in a Backpack

Blessings in a Backpack, People Magazine’s Charity of 2012, is a results-oriented program that is designed to feed elementary school children whose families qualify for the federally funded National School Lunch Program and have little or no food on the weekends. Better test scores, improved reading skills, positive behavior, improved health and increased attendance have all been attributed to the success of this program. For as little as $80 Blessings in a Backpack can feed one American school child in our program for an entire 38-week school year. Blessings in a Backpack is currently feeding over 72,000 children in 800 schools across 44 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. (see all at http://blessingsinabackpack.org/About/OurPrograms.aspx).

We are Feeding the Future of America® – one school at a time

About The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA)

NJEA is a diverse, democratic organization working to create an optimal environment to achieve excellence in public education in New Jersey. The mission of the New Jersey Education Association is to advance and protect the rights, benefits, and interests of members, and promote a quality system of public education for all students. 

About Holy Family University

Holy Family University is a premier Catholic university offering 45 undergraduate, graduate, and accelerated degree programs. The University’s main campus is in Northeast Philadelphia, with additional locations in Bensalem and Newtown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1954 by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth as a private, not-for-profit, faith-inspired community, Holy Family University propels graduates to purpose-driven, values-centered lives through outstanding academic programs, flexible delivery options, manifold experiential learning opportunities, supportive career development and deep personal connections. Visit www.holyfamily.edu for more information.

About ACME Markets

ACME Markets Inc. began in 1891 when two friends, Samuel Robinson and Robert Crawford, opened a small neighborhood grocery store in South Philadelphia, emphasizing quality products, low prices, and friendly service. Over 124 years later, ACME remains dedicated to providing a high-quality grocery experience that our customers have come to expect.  Today, ACME operates 107 stores, including Sav-On Pharmacies at select locations, in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, employing more than 11,000 associates. The company and its associates remain committed to the communities they serve.  For more information visit www.acmemarkets.com.

About Hand & Stone

Hand & Stone is a 200 unit massage and facial spa with a mission to bring massage and facial services to the masses. Launched in 2004 by a passionate physical therapist, John Marco and now led by franchise veteran Todd Leff, Hand & Stone now has locations in 22 states and Canada. For more information on Hand & Stone, visit www.handandstone.com. 

About CBS EcoMedia Inc.

At EcoMedia, we’re propelled by the desire to create positive social change; that’s been our mission since we founded the company in 2002.  In 2010, after successfully partnering with CBS on a wide range of environmental projects, EcoMedia became the newest addition to the CBS Corporation portfolio, exponentially scaling our reach across television, radio, interactive, publishing and outdoor media.

Through our patent-pending EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd programs, an innovative twist on traditional advertising, advertisers are able to support much-needed local projects which in turn creates jobs, saves taxpayer money and improves the quality of life in communities nationwide.  In the process, we’re fundamentally altering the advertising landscape, elevating the ordinary, traditional commercial – and media, in general – into a catalyst for tangible, quantifiable social change.  Please visit ecomediacbs.com, like us at facebook.com/EcoMediaCBS or follow us at Twitter.com/EcoMediaCBS.

By participating in EcoMedia’s EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd advertising programs, EcoMedia’s advertisers agree to provide funding for projects we believe will have a beneficial effect upon the environment, health and/or education within local communities.  EcoMedia’s advertising programs are not certification programs nor are the EcoAd, WellnessAd or EducationAd logos seals of approval. EcoMedia does not in any way certify, endorse or make any representations about EcoMedia program advertisers, their products or services.