NEWARK, N.J., January 24, 2023 /CSRwire/ - Whole Cities Foundation, a nonprofit that works alongside community-based organizations to improve neighborhood health by broadening access to fresh food and nutrition education, announced today that Newark-based organizations can apply for $200,000 in grants through the Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant from January 23 through February 23, 2023. The grant launches an additional three-year, $780,000 commitment by the Foundation to continue building a thriving local food system in partnership with the Newark community.

Newark-led organizations with projects that support long-term healthy food access solutions and nutrition education are encouraged to apply for grant funding. Ten organizations will be awarded funding between $5,000 and $20,000 for a total of $200,000. Applications must be submitted online at wholecitiesfoundation.org by February 23 at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time.

“Whole Cities Foundation is committed to offering responsive support, so we listen and seek to understand our partners’ challenges and goals and then provide resources, information and grant programs like the Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant that meet these priorities,” said Dianna Purcell, Senior Grant Programs Manager at Whole Cities Foundation. “We are honored to continue amplifying the innovative efforts of organizations across Newark that are expanding their community’s access to fresh, healthy food and nutrition education.”

Whole Cities Foundation started the Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant program in 2017 with the help of its founder Whole Foods Market. Since then, the Foundation has awarded grants to 29 organizations throughout Newark’s five wards and has provided financial backing for additional opportunities shaped by the goals and requests of its grant partners. The total investment in Newark’s food access and health initiatives during the past six years has surpassed $1 million.

Grant partners have included community gardens, urban farms, farmers’ markets, mobile markets, healthy cooking classes, SNAP incentives and other solutions advancing long-term healthy food access and community health.

In 2022, Whole Cities Foundation committed to an additional three-year, $780,000 investment beginning January 2023 and surveyed community partners to help shape the next stage of support. Updates to the Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant program amended by survey results include increasing the maximum grant size from $15,000 to $20,000 per year while still providing unrestricted grants, which allow for funds to be used for overhead, infrastructure and ongoing expenses.

Whole Cities Foundation is dedicated to supporting community self-determination and reviews applications in conjunction with the Newark Community Advisory Council, a panel of engaged Newark leaders. Grantees are determined by the sustainability of their projects and their alignment with the Foundation’s mission.

Apiary in the Sky, a first-time grantee during the 2022 Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant cycle, provides skills and resources to support local residents as land stewards, beekeepers and innovators with the goal of advancing direct access to affordable, nutritious food and creating safe, green spaces for the community.

“Often smaller, grassroot organizations with the ability to create localized impact are overlooked when it comes to larger-scale funding. The Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant is ideal for organizations who may fall into that category because they are reviewed by various community members who are passionate about the health and wellness of Newark residents,” said Marcellis Counts, Founder of Apiary in the Sky. “For Apiary in the Sky, receiving the grant symbolized hope—hope that we can work together to impact these important issues around education and food access in Newark.”

Similar to the program in Newark, Whole Cities Foundation previously supported deep community engagement through grants for healthy food access in four more cities: Detroit, Mich.; New Orleans, La.; Jackson, Miss.; and Greater Englewood, a neighborhood of Chicago, Ill. These commitments were in addition to the Foundation’s Community First Grant program, which has reached more than 125 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

For more information on Whole Cities Foundation’s Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant program, including a list of past and current grant partners in Newark, visit wholecitiesfoundation.org/grants/newark-nj.

ABOUT WHOLE CITIES FOUNDATION

Whole Cities Foundation works alongside community-based organizations to improve neighborhood health through collaborative partnerships, nutrition education, and broader access to fresh, healthy food. Founded by Whole Foods Market in 2014, the independent, nonprofit organization is based in Austin, Texas and has partnered with more than 250 community organizations in more than 130 cities across the U.S. to build thriving local food systems and improve health. Through vibrant grant programs, Whole Cities Foundation supports community gardens, urban farms, pop-up produce stands, agriculture skills development, farmers’ markets, mobile markets, healthy cooking classes and other community-directed initiatives. Additionally, the Foundation provides medical nutrition and wellness education to community members and partners. For more information on the Foundation and its programs, visit wholecitiesfoundation.org. For ongoing news and updates, follow Whole Cities Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

Chanta Williams, Interim Executive Director

Whole Cities Foundation

Chanta.Williams@wholefoods.com

1.888.611.0081

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Whole Foods Market Foundation

Whole Foods Market Foundation

Whole Foods Market Foundation works to nourish people and the planet by helping to advance economic opportunities, nutrition, and healthy food access in local and global communities. Founded by Whole Foods Market, the registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Austin, Texas, encompasses the projects of Whole Planet, Whole Kids and Whole Cities.  

WHOLE PLANET 
Alleviates poverty through microcredit in communities around the globe.
Wholeplanetfoundation.org

WHOLE KIDS 
Dedicated to improving children’s health and wellness through their nutrition. 
Wholekidsfoundation.org

WHOLE CITIES 
Improves individual and community health through collaborative partnerships, education, and broader access to nutritious food. 
Wholecitiesfoundation.org

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