Grants To Nonprofits To Combat Food Insecurity

Food insecurity is a major issue facing people in the US and it’s amplified by the current coronavirus pandemic. Food insecurity especially targets people who are living in food deserts, where access to food staples like meat, milk, fresh fruits, and vegetables can be incredibly limited. That is one of the reasons grants can be so important in providing funding dollars to organizations that help fill the gap for communities.  

What is Food insecurity?

Here’s the official definition of food insecurity according the U.S Department of Agriculture:

Food insecurity—the condition assessed in the food security survey and represented in USDA food security reports—is a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Hunger is an individual-level physiological condition that may result from food insecurity.

Simply put, food insecurity is the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. A family sometimes runs out of money to buy food, or it sometimes runs out of food before it can get more money.

Grant funders are addressing the crisis of food insecurity by awarding grants to various nonprofits focused on combatting the issue. One such grant has been awarded jointly to three separate entities in Rochester, New York in order to help bridge the gap and create better health equity for communities.

The City of Rochester, together with FoodLink and Common Ground, has been awarded a grant by the American Public Health Association’s Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge, which seeks to “accelerate systems-level approaches to improving community health”. 

Together with the city of Rochester, these nonprofit organizations will be working to implement Rochester 2034, a 15-year comprehensive plan aimed at improving the community on a wide variant of aspects. One of those obviously being community health, and this grant specifically will go towards the creation of a food policy council, to begin the work of implementing a better understanding of what the community needs. The council will do so by identifying the gaps and opportunities to expand equitable access to quality food. 

Food Link is a nonprofit organization focused on health equity. And Common Ground is the health research and planning organization for the nine Finger Lakes counties of Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, and Yates. 

Here’s what Food Link, President and CEO, Julia Tedesco had to say about this grant being awarded:

It is our hope that the Food Policy Council can open up doors to improve access and affordability of healthy foods and underserved neighborhoods, foster food sovereignty and justice at a local level, and lead to a more nourished and more prosperous region.

If you are interested in hearing more about the Food Policy Council: These three organizations will be hosting three Zoom meetings to discuss it’s formation: 

• Thursday, August 20, 2020 5:30 – 6:30 p.m EST
• Wednesday, August 26, 2020 5:30 – 6:30 p.m EST
• Thursday, August 27, 2020 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 pm EST

Featured Grants

Nonprofits seeking grants that benefits the food insecure should apply for the following grants:

• Grants to USA nonprofit organizations for programs to address childhood hunger and nutrition. Funding is intended to promote the well-being and physical and mental health of children.
• Grants and in-kind support to USA, Canada, and International youth and young adults to address the effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19).