Vitaquest International, a West Caldwell-based contract development and manufacturing organization, introduced VQ Cares, a charitable initiative dedicated to tackling health equity by providing free dietary supplements to underserved communities.
In collaboration with The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) and the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) Foundation, Vitaquest will supply high-quality adult and children’s multivitamins at no cost to families who struggle with access to essential nutrition.
The program launches with a focus on New Jersey and New York, aiming to distribute $500,000 worth of multivitamins in its first year before expanding nationally.
“Millions of families lack the nutrition they need to lead healthy lives. As leaders in the dietary supplement industry, Vitaquest has the resources and expertise to make a difference,” Patrick Brueggman, CEO of Vitaquest said. “Proper nutrition improves overall health, supports immune function, and enhances a person’s well-being. VQ Cares will play a vital role in supporting better overall health by delivering high-quality adult and children’s multivitamins…”
VQ Cares is a foundational part of the CRN Foundation’s broader “Access Initiative,” a national effort to reduce nutrition insecurity by leveraging the NAFC’s trusted network of free and charitable clinics and pharmacies.
“Reliable access to quality nutrition shouldn’t depend on a family’s income,” Nicole Lamoureux, president & CEO of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) said. “By serving as a true manufacture-to-donate partner, Vitaquest creates a predictable, high-quality pipeline of supplements that our clinics can count on. This model turns generosity into guaranteed supply, helping us close care gaps and advance health equity.”
The collaboration establishes a reliable pipeline of products that NAFC will distribute to the clinics and pharmacies it serves in the initial focus states.
“We chose to launch VQ Cares locally, where we witness the need for better access to nutrition around us every day,” Brueggman added. “Supporting our neighbors is just the beginning of our broader mission to expand this program nationally.”
Vitaquest is also urging other stakeholders in the dietary supplement industry to join the cause through ingredient donations or financial contributions to help cover the cost of raw materials.
“Vitaquest’s VQ Cares initiative is a strong example of how our industry can come together to improve public health,” Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition said. “By providing underserved communities with access to essential supplements, this program shows the real-world impact that responsible nutrition can have when companies collaborate for the greater good.”
