$150,000 in Grants Available to Newark-led Organizations Advancing Access to Fresh, Healthy Food

NEWARK, NJ, January 13, 2021 /3BL Media/ — 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 organizations can apply for $150,000 in grants through its annual Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant from January 13 through February 16, 2021. 

Newark-led organizations with projects that create long-term healthy food access solutions and grow community health are encouraged to apply for funding. Ten organizations will be offered funding between $5,000 and $15,000 for a total of $150,000. Applications must be submitted online at wholecitiesfoundation.org by February 16 at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

“Whole Cities Foundation is committed to supporting community self-determination, so we prioritize food access work by locally driven nonprofits that reflect and engage the neighbors they serve,” said Dianna Purcell, Senior Grant Programs Manager at Whole Cities Foundation. “Newark’s urban farmers, gardeners and community leaders are growing a more equitable and sustainable local food system. We are honored to amplify their efforts through collaborative partnerships.” 

Whole Cities Foundation launched 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 more than $637,000 grants to 26 organizations across all five wards in the Newark community. 

In January 2020, Whole Cities Foundation committed to an additional three years of support for Newark’s local food system. The pledge will bring the Foundation’s total investment in the city’s community-based health and food access initiatives to more than $1 million. 

Grant partners have included community gardens, urban farms, farmers’ markets, healthy cooking classes, and other initiatives advancing healthy food access.

Whole Cities Foundation is more than a monetary sponsor that helps with equipment, supplies and infrastructure, according to Emilio Panasci, Founder and Executive Director of 2020 grantee Urban Agriculture Cooperative.

“Whole Cities Foundation is a true partner. They are an organization we can dialogue with, one that has concern and care for the progress of our food justice work, for the growth and development of our urban farms, and one that helps us come up with new approaches,” said Panasci. “We really appreciate their commitment to Newark and the partnership that has allowed so many grassroots organizations to start building their budgets.”

Whole Cities Foundation reviews applications in conjunction with the Newark Community Advisory Council, a panel of engaged Newark leaders with an average of two decades each working and/or living in Newark. Grantees are determined by the sustainability of their projects and their alignment with the Foundation’s mission. 

Similar to the program in Newark, Whole Cities Foundation supports 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 are in addition to the Foundation’s Community First Grant program, which has reached more than 100 U.S. cities. 

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. 

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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 195 community organizations in more than 100 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. The Foundation’s signature medical nutrition program Let’s Talk Food is offered in Detroit, Newark, NJ and Chicago’s Greater Englewood neighborhood. For more information on the Foundation and its programs, visit wholecitiesfoundation.org. For ongoing news and updates, follow Whole Cities Foundation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.