$150,000 in Grants Available for Newark-led Organizations Advancing Community Health and Fresh Food Access

NEWARK, N.J., January 24, 2022 /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-based organizations can apply for $150,000 in grants through the Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant from January 24 through February 25, 2022. 

Newark-led organizations with community-based fresh food and health initiatives 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 25 at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

“Whole Cities Foundation believes our community partners are the experts, and we hold great respect for their knowledge, talents and agency,” said Dianna Purcell, Senior Grant Programs Manager at Whole Cities Foundation. “Through the Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant program, we are able to provide responsive support which amplifies homegrown solutions by these locally led organizations.”

In 2017, Whole Cities Foundation launched the Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant program with the help of its founder Whole Foods Market. Since then, the Foundation has awarded more than $737,000 in grants to 27 organizations across Newark’s five wards and has provided financial backing for various additional opportunities shaped by the goals and requests of its grant partners. 

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

This year’s grant funding concludes a six-year commitment by Whole Cities Foundation with the Newark community to help build a thriving local food system and will bring the Foundation’s total investment in the city’s health and food access initiatives to more than $1 million.

Project U.S.E., a three-time grantee, applied the funding towards growing their Pedal Farmers program, which engages young adults from Newark between the ages of 15 to 21 in urban gardening and horticulture. 

“The investment in our mission and impact by Whole Cities Foundation has allowed us to scale up our Pedal Farmers program and also served as a selling point for matching donations from other individual donors and funding partners,” said Amye Follett, Program Director at Project U.S.E. “The focus of the grant in terms of community grantees and mutual support is incredibly valuable. You don’t just get a grant award but also connections, networking, and opportunities for collaboration with other amazing organizations working to tackle equitable access to healthy food and more sustainable food systems.”

Whole Cities Foundation is committed to supporting community self-determination and 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. 

Since 2014, Whole Cities Foundation has partnered with more than 225 nonprofits across 130 cities in the U.S. and Canada to improve access to healthy food and nutrition education investing more than $3.3 million with local communities. The Foundation awards its annual Community First Grants, as well as supports deep community engagement through grants for healthy food access in five cities: Newark, N.J.; Detroit, Mich.; New Orleans, La.; Jackson, Miss.; and Greater Englewood, a neighborhood of Chicago, Ill.

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 225 nonprofits across 130 cities in the U.S. and Canada 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.

Media Contact:

Nona Evans, Executive Director
Whole Cities Foundation
Nona.Evans@wholefoods.com
512.289.9258