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Team members from RWJBarnabas Health, Saint James Health and Brach Eichler LLC joined together to distribute hundreds of coats to the local community.
December 23 – As part of its ongoing holiday season of giving, RWJBarnabas Health hosted a community coat drive in partnership with Saint James Health Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and law firm Brach Eichler LLC. The Dec. 23 event was held inside Newark’s East Side High School cafeteria to benefit local families.
“Our mission is not just to provide care in the places we work, but to meet the needs of our communities where they live,” said Mark E. Manigan, President and Chief Executive Officer, RWJBarnabas Health. “We take seriously our historic role as a provider to New Jersey’s most vulnerable and supporting families facing food insecurity exemplifies who we are as an organization. In the spirit of the holiday season and all year-round, we live our values through our commitment to the total wellbeing of the communities we serve.”RWJBarnabas Health donated half of the more than 1,000 coats provided to people in need. Hundreds of toys, cold-weather items, toiletries, turkeys, chickens, and nutritious food for holiday meals were also provided across its FQHC, community-based organization, and civic association partners in Essex, Union, Hudson, and Monmouth counties.
“At Saint James Health, we see every day how basic needs like warmth and security are deeply connected to health,” said Nicole Fields, Chief Executive Officer, Saint James Health. “This coat drive is about more than winter clothing – it’s about showing our neighbors that they are seen, supported and cared for. We’re grateful to partner with RWJBarnabas Health and Brach Eichler to come together and help ensure local families can face the winter months with dignity and comfort.”
RWJBarnabas Health distributed over 37.6 tons (75,230 lbs.) of fresh produce and 4,175 turkeys through food drives held across the state this holiday season to help New Jersey families, many of whom have faced lingering impacts from earlier disruptions to federal SNAP benefits during the October government shutdown.
RWJBarnabas Health employees additionally participated in food giveaways in partnership with 23 community-based organizations, civic associations, and FQHCs across New Jersey. The health system also worked with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey to distribute an additional 344 turkeys, 315 chickens, and 30 hams this holiday season.
Since 2023, RWJBarnabas Health has invested nearly $20 million to support local food programs across New Jersey, with an additional $7 million planned for 2026. This includes RWJBarnabas Health’s $1 million donation to support 14 local feeding organizations during the recent government shutdown.
RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive academic health system, caring for more than five million people annually. Nationally renowned for quality and safety, the system includes 14 hospitals and 9,000 affiliated physicians integrated to provide care at more than 700 patient care locations.
RWJBarnabas Health partners with its communities to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey. It provides patient-centered care in a compassionate manner and is the state’s largest safety-net provider and leader in addressing the social determinants of health. RWJBarnabas Health provides food to the hungry, housing for the homeless and economic opportunities to those most vulnerable.
RWJBarnabas Health’s commitment to enhancing access to care includes a transformative partnership with Rutgers University, including the Rutgers Cancer Institute — the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey’s largest private employers, with more than 45,000 employees, contributing more than $7 billion to the state economy every year. For more information, visit www.RWJBH.org.
- Jerome Ali, Community Health Worker, RWJBarnabas Health, prepares to hand out bags of coats to community members.
- From left: Diana Candelejo, Assistant Vice President, FQHC Relations, Community Health, RWJBarnabas Health; Anthony Nuñez Fernandez, Director, Community Health Worker program; Michael J. Silva, Councilman, Newark East Ward; Balpreet Grewal-Virk, PhD, Senior Vice President, Community Health, RWJBarnabas Health; Raul Malave III, Chief Operations Officer, Saint James Health; and Nicole Fields, President and Chief Executive Officer, Saint James Health.
- The Brach Eichler LLC team prepares to hand out coat donations at East Side High School in Newark.




