New Jersey’s Two Largest Employers Offer New Slate of Community Programs at ShopRite
Keasbey, New Jersey (February 4, 2019) – ShopRite and RWJBarnabas Health have announced that they are expanding their partnership to provide a new education program designed to help shoppers to manage their weight and improve their overall well-being. Titled, “Eat Well. Be Happy,” the six-week program will be offered free of charge to customers starting this month, and taught in-store by ShopRite’s team of registered dietitians.
This is the second program offered to ShopRite consumers as part of a joint initiative between the supermarket and RWJBarnabas Health, the state’s largest and most comprehensive health care system. In April 2017, ShopRite and RWJBarnabas Health first partnered to develop and launch “Hands-On Healthy Kids,” a free program that inspires lifelong healthy eating habits in children. The program is currently offered at select ShopRite locations across the Northeast.
“We are thrilled to be partnering once again with RWJBarnabas Health on another innovative and unique consumer education program,” says Natalie Menza-Crowe, MS, RD, Director of Health and Wellness at ShopRite. “We know that our free kids’ classes have been extremely popular with our shoppers and their children. With this new offering that we have developed in conjunction with RWJBarnabas Health, we can truly fulfill our shared mission of working together to keep communities healthy.”
“Eat Well. Be Happy," is based on a curriculum developed in tandem with nutrition experts and dietitians from RWJBarnabas Health, as well as the supermarket’s own team of dietitians, which consists of over 100 full-time in-store and corporate dietitians. The classes are held on a rolling schedule, and available at all participating ShopRite locations across New Jersey. Customers can sign up by visiting shoprite.com.
“Providing access to fresh and healthy foods is a critical component as we seek to improve community health outcomes. ShopRite has been a strong partner in tackling tough issues such as food insecurity and obesity, as well as the resulting chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and depression,” said Barry H. Ostrowsky, President and Chief Executive Officer at RWJBarnabas Health. “This program will provide adults with hands-on training and support in learning how to eat healthier, therefore creating healthier families and, by extension, healthier communities.”
Although both the kids’ and adults’ sessions are each six weeks long, participants can drop in at any point. While the kids’ classes feature scavenger hunts, cooking instruction, healthy recipes, and nutrition and wellness tips, the adult class focuses on a wide variety of topics, including successful goal setting techniques, meal planning tips, recipes ideas, label reading, and much more.
“We wanted to ensure that the programs ShopRite and RWJBarnabas Health design provide customers with the skills they need to make the right choices that lead to sustainable life changes,” said Barbara Mintz, Senior Vice President for Healthy Living and Community and Employee Engagement for RWJBarnabas Health.
To find a participating ShopRite nearest you hosting classes, please visit www.shoprite.com.
For more information about RWJBarnabas Health, visit www.RWJBH.org.
About ShopRite
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, NJ, and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With more than 276 ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves more than six million customers each week. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Since the program began in 1999, ShopRite Partners In Caring has donated $43 million to food banks that support more than 2,200 worthy charities. For more information, please visit www.shoprite.com.
About RWJBarnabas Health
RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive health care system in New Jersey, with a service area covering nine counties with five million people. The system includes eleven acute care hospitals – Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Community Medical Center in Toms River, Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, RWJUH in New Brunswick, RWJUH Somerset in Somerville, RWJUH Hamilton, RWJUH Rahway and Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston; three acute care children’s hospitals and a leading pediatric rehabilitation hospital with a network of outpatient centers (Children’s Specialized Hospital) with its multiple outpatient centers, a freestanding 100-bed behavioral health center, two trauma centers, a satellite emergency department, ambulatory care centers, geriatric centers, the state’s largest behavioral health network, comprehensive home care and hospice programs, fitness and wellness centers, retail pharmacy services, a medical group, multi-site imaging centers and two accountable care organizations.
RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest private employer – with more than 33,000 employees, 9,000 physicians and 1,000 residents and interns – and routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety. RWJBarnabas Health recently announced a partnership with Rutgers University to create New Jersey’s largest academic health care system. The collaboration will align RWJBarnabas Health with Rutgers’ education, research and clinical activities, including those at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. RWJBarnabas Health, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials.
Contact:
Carrie Cristello
(973) 322-4642
Carrie.Cristello@rwjbh.org
Marla Camins
(732) 906-5032
Marla.Camins@wakefern.com