MARGATE - The American Red Cross donated a retro-fitted sprinter van to Jewish Family Service of Atlantic and Cape May Counties as part of a partnership to build more resilient communities.
The custom-designed van will provide JFS with a mobile outreach office to access saturated urban areas, such as Atlantic City and rural areas. The sprinter van features wifi compatibility, two intake areas leather seats and storage areas.
“Knowing the work our staff performs throughout the county, this JFS mobile access center allows us to have a more prominent presence at community events and health fairs as well as the ability to access harder to reach locations on the outskirts of our area," JFS Chief Operating Officer Ann Thoresen said.
The partnership is part of the national Red Cross Community Adaptation Program, which is providing enhanced support in select communities across the country that are at high risk for extreme weather and face socioeconomic challenges. The program focuses on enhancing local nonprofits specializing in health, hunger, and housing to strengthen their programs before a disaster and to serve families hit hard by the new increasing state of climate disasters.
“We are thrilled with this partnership which provides Jewish Family Service with the specialized van, enabling them to reach and serve more people in the community now and during times of disasters,” American Red Cross New Jersey Region CEO Rosie Taravella said. “Especially as the climate crisis worsens, access to health and mental health care is so important, and together, we can make a greater difference in the lives of those we jointly serve."
For more information on JFS programs and services, see jfsatlantic.org. For more information about American Red Cross services, see redcross.org.
