On a roll: Virtua’s mobile grocery store serves 1,000th customer (slideshow)

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A grocery store, that comes to you.

Virtua Health’s “Eat Well” Mobile Grocery Store has been delivering healthy and affordable food options to six communities across South Jersey on a weekly basis since February, recently serving its 1,000th customer.

According to Assistant Vice President of Community Health Engagement April Schetler, the initiative set a three-month target of making 720 transactions; and it has exceeded that goal by more than 20%.

Using a city bus donated by New Jersey Transit, and made possible through the support of Virtua Health’s philanthropic partners, the one-aisle Mobile Grocery Store offers healthy and culturally relevant foods at below-market prices to affordable housing and senior communities at three sites in Camden, along with locations in Delanco, Sicklerville and Willingboro.

“By creating a reliable and affordable source of nutritious food, we’re working to reduce both food insecurity and diet-related chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity,” said Schetler, who is a registered dietitian.