City of Milwaukee Awards Fresh Food Access Fund Grants

MILWAUKEE – The City of Milwaukee is awarding a new round of Fresh Food Access Fund grants to seven for-profit and not-for-profit organizations that will support healthy food initiatives in Milwaukee.

The Fresh Food Access Fund is providing a total of $100,000 to support for-profit and not-for-profit efforts that increase the availability of healthy food options in underserved areas. This year’s grant recipients are located in neighborhoods on the north side and the south side of Milwaukee. All awardees are required to match the Fresh Food Access Funds, so the grants will leverage at least $200,000 for efforts that add and improve healthy food access throughout the city.

“Access to fresh, nutritious foods is essential for healthy families and children, better educational outcomes, and stronger Milwaukee neighborhoods,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson. “The Fresh Food Access Fund is once again providing grants for community partners that will work to foster a healthier Milwaukee. I am looking forward to this effort helping expand access to the healthy, nutritious foods that Milwaukeeans need.”

Alderman Khalif J. Rainey, a longtime advocate of providing fresh foods to underserved communities, is looking forward to the funds being deployed in Milwaukee. “I was proud to lead the Common Council legislation that created the Fresh Food Access Fund to support healthier families and neighborhoods in Milwaukee,” said Alderman Rainey. “I look forward to these dollars making an impact in the community by expanding access to healthy food options and promoting healthier lifestyles for residents.”

Grants can go toward a range of initiatives that promote healthy food goals. In previous years, matching Fresh Food Access Fund grants were awarded to 41 different projects. All grant recipients are either located within current USDA-designated food access areas, or have plans to distribute food to residents within those neighborhoods.

A review panel that included representatives from within and outside city government considered all the applications for the Fresh Food Access Fund program. Individual grants range in size from a thousand dollars to tens-of-thousands of dollars for large capital projects.

The grant recipients are:

• Dominican Center for Women ($25,000): This grant funding will be used to develop a micro-farm (small-scale, high-yield, sustainably-minded farming) to grow Amani’s AgTech Program to improve food security and economic development in Milwaukee’s Amani neighborhood.
• Fondy Food Center ($25,000): This grant funding will be used to purchase and install refrigerated storage containers at Fondy’s office at 2102 W. Fond du Lac Avenue.
• Friedens Food Pantries ($20,000): This grant funding will be used to purchase and install coolers to expand cold storage, as well as for exterior/interior signage for food centers and necessary food delivery vehicle repairs.
• Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center ($8,761): This grant funding will be used to purchase and install a storage shed to store harvested produce or to dry harvested herbs and medicines.
• Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee ($1,518): This grant funding will be used to construct garden beds.
• HoneyBee Sage Wellness & Apothecary ($4,221): This grant funding will be used to install an indoor hydroponic garden.
• We Got This Community Garden ($15,500): This grant funding will be used to construct two high tunnel hoop house systems, as well as 1,000 square feet of raised beds.

More information about the program is available at milwaukee.gov/FFAF.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.