CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — AmerisourceBergen Corp. has launched the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization that provides grants to health- and pharmaceutical-related causes and educational opportunities.

The drug distributor said Thursday that the AmerisourceBergen Foundation focuses on health and wellness initiatives that improve patient outcomes, including pharmaceutical accessibility programs, pharmaceutical adherence programs and health improvement research. The foundation also aims to help spur positive change in the patient experience and empower providers through support for K-12 education, nursing programs, pharmacy programs and needs-based scholarships for youth.

“As one of the nation’s largest health care solutions organizations, AmerisourceBergen recognizes that we have a responsibility to inspire and to improve access to health and pharmaceutical services,” Steven Collis, president and chief executive officer of AmerisourceBergen, said in a statement. “Our new foundation is committed to upholding this core value, and we look forward to supporting organizations that share our goal of driving a positive and sustainable impact to healthcare delivery across the globe.”

The foundation’s first recipient is Project HOME, which has used a $250,000 foundation grant to build a new community pharmacy in the Stephen Klein Wellness Center in North Central Philadelphia. The pharmacy will serve patients from the community, and those who suffer from chronic homelessness and are supported by Project HOME, through accessible, discounted prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, prescription delivery services to patients with mobility challenges, and health and pharmacy services provided by a Thomas Jefferson University Hospital pharmacist. OTC products for the pharmacy also will be donated by Good Neighbor Pharmacy, AmerisourceBergen’s independent pharmacy network.

“Project HOME strives to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty for those in need in the greater Philadelphia community. Simple, reliable access to health and pharmaceutical services can be a key factor in doing just that,” stated June Barry, president of the AmerisourceBergen Foundation. “Funding the creation of a pharmacy at Project HOME’s Stephen Klein Wellness Center in order to meet the health care needs of a community with access challenges is a wonderful demonstration of the role that the AmerisourceBergen Foundation is looking to play in communities across the globe.”

The pharmacy will be unveiled at a ceremony and health fair this Saturday, Aug. 8, and will kick off National Health Center Week, which recognizes how health centers provide people with health care regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. During the fair, to be held outside the Stephen Klein Wellness Center, public health services will be available, including blood pressure readings, insurance sign-ups and wellness tips.

“Our new pharmacy, made possible through the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, is key in our effort to provide quality healthcare and wellness for the second poorest ZIP code in Philadelphia,” commented Sister Mary Scullion, president and executive director of Project HOME.