Food Access Update 6/18

We are honored to announce that our application for the USA TODAY's "A Community Thrives" program has been awarded $100,000 to help fund our project nicknamed "Peebles Corner Grocery".

“The mission statement for the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation notes that we are working to enhance the quality of life in Walnut Hills.” Interim Executive Director Elizabeth Winters Waite says, “The grant from USA Today will help us install a small, corner grocery store with perishables, some of which will be stocked from our extensive community garden network.  Giving our residents access to fresh, affordable food grown in gardens that are as beautiful as they are productive, will assist us in meeting our mission, and will allow us the resources to continue to advocate for food access alternatives in our community.” At the center of our work around food access, Healthy Outreach Coordinator Gary Dangel has been working towards more food access and healthy living in Walnut Hills for five years. “This $100,000 grant from USA Today helps the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation to create a mini-grocery in the center of our resurgent business district.” Dangel says, “We’ll use the store as an opportunity to test what people want to buy and how they’d like to see it activated. Think of it as the start of a rapid prototype Food Lab.”

Funding from the ACT grant award will be used to leverage our additional fundraising efforts and to continue our work to bring affordable food to all Walnut Hills residents. The grant award will also fund a Food Access Manager who focuses on developing a food-centered destination that serves the needs of existing residents while also attracting nearby neighbors.

To see the full press release and list of awardees from the Gannett Foundation, visit: https://www.gannett.com/news/press-releases/2018/6/20/gannett-usa-today-network-announce-recipients-2018-community-thrives-program/