4 years, 8 selections, $2,072 in donations
Since March 2020, the Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative has been selected to benefit from the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program 8 times. In total, the organization has received $2,072 in donations to continue providing free health care to low-income, uninsured residents of Bergen County, New Jersey.
Tell us about the Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative.
The Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative (BVMI) was established in 2009 by a group of doctors who felt there was a need to provide free health care in northern New Jersey. Many of these doctors volunteered overseas with Doctors Without Borders and felt we could create a similar model in our local community.
For 15 years, BVMI has provided free health care to low-income, uninsured adults in Bergen County. We are a volunteer medicine clinic, meaning volunteer doctors and nurses provide the care alongside a small staff. Currently, BVMI provides free health care to about 1,000 patients. Over 60% of these patients are women.
Currently, BVMI provides free health care to about 1,000 patients.
We provide primary care, women’s health care, and diagnostic services. We have a case management program, a mental health program, and a diabetes education and prevention program. If a patient needs a service not performed here, we can send the patient out for treatment.
We pride ourselves on providing a comprehensive approach to health care. We address the patient’s social determinants of health, such as issues related to food insecurity, employment, and housing. A social worker manages cases one by one and refers patients to social services in our community.
How has the Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative used the donations from the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program to further its mission?
First, thank you to Stop & Shop for choosing us for the Community Bag Program. We are honored every time we get chosen. Every dollar counts when you’re a medium-sized nonprofit like BVMI. When people in the community buy bags, they support BVMI. We get excited every time we get the email saying $200 was raised.
As a nonprofit, we rely primarily on private donations, corporate and family foundations, and small amounts of public support from the state and county. All donations make an impact and enable us to continue providing free health care to the uninsured.
I also want to note that Amanda Missey, the president and CEO of BVMI, lives in the same community as the Stop & Shop that we’ve been chosen at many times. She has numerous bags in her home and is always excited to speak to the store management when we are part of the program. She’s proud that it’s the store in her community.
We actually just got an email today saying BVMI has been chosen again at the Hackensack Stop & Shop for the month of March 2025! We’re so excited!
Tell us a story about a program, service, or initiative that the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program has supported.
Oftentimes when someone becomes a BVMI patient, they have gone years without any form of routine health care. First, we perform a health screening that includes blood tests and diagnostics to help us get a baseline for their health profile. About 30% of our population is either diabetic or prediabetic.
Our 12-month Prevent Diabetes Program helps people on the cusp of becoming diabetic. Since diabetes affects such a large part of our patient population, we have a diabetes educator and a nutritionist on staff. Chefs show the patients how to prepare food. We have taken our patients on tours of local supermarkets to show them how to read nutrition labels, helping them understand what would raise blood sugar and what doesn’t. Our nutritionist sits down with each person individually and uses plastic food to describe what foods are good for you. Patients in the program also go through a yearlong exercise program. We take a comprehensive approach to helping our patients who are either prediabetic or diabetic.
We have numerous cases where people have reduced their risk in six months or less simply by adopting a few of our suggestions and getting on their medication. Insulin is very expensive, and our patients cannot afford it. We find ways to enable them to get the medication. Through education, medication, and lifestyle changes, we are able to help transform these patients’ lives. Many report that they feel energetic and full of vitality. They also are not afraid of getting so sick that they are incapacitated.
Through education, medication, and lifestyle changes, we are able to help transform these patients’ lives.
Have you noticed any changes in community awareness or support since becoming involved in the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program?
A lot of people are not aware of BVMI, so the program helps us gain recognition in our community. It helps us share our story while simultaneously bringing in donations. We always get remarks from neighbors when they see that BVMI is part of the Community Bag Program. The program supports us in various ways. We are a community-based nonprofit, so getting support from the community through Stop & Shop is what we’re all about. We love being part of the program.
A lot of people are not aware of BVMI, so the program helps us gain recognition in our community.
What advice would you give other nonprofits participating in the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program?
For those lucky enough to be chosen, we would tell them that every dollar counts! Community support is vital for any nonprofit. If you’re like us, be proud and share the news with your donor population. It might cause them to go to that Stop & Shop to buy a bag just to support you! Whenever we are chosen, we share it on social media to remind people that we are part of this program.
Interview with Joanne Murad, Manager of Grants & External Affairs