On Friday, the Board of Commissioners marked the official opening of the Mary Ann Wardlow Center for Community Nutrition in Blackwood. The $5 million facility spans 7,500 square feet and is designed to support meal assembly and distribution services for a home delivery meal program. It also includes staff areas. This initiative aims to address the increasing demand for home-delivered meals among county residents.
“Each year, the need for this program grows greater and greater here in our county,” said Commissioner Virginia Betteridge, liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services. “The Board of Commissioners is committing to meeting the needs of our residents and that includes helping them secure consistent, healthy meals on a daily basis. This program is a lifeline to so many that call Camden County home, and we are thrilled that it will now have a new home in a state-of-the-art facility.”
The center is named after Lawnside Mayor Mary Ann Wardlow, known for her advocacy in nutrition and long-time organization efforts with Meals on Wheels. Wardlow played a key role in establishing nutritional programs at The Wayne Bryant Community Center in her town.
Food insecurity remains an issue affecting many residents. In 2024 alone, the Food Bank of South Jersey distributed 23.4 million pounds of food, provided 19.5 million meals, and served 185,000 people monthly, including 67,000 children.
