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/ 

This project would not be possible without the support and generosity of our Crowdrise donors. Thank you to everyone who supported our campaign: 

First Financial Bank

Samir & Ami Kulkarni

Model Group

The Crout Family

Elizabeth Waite

Fred Orth

Kelly and Steve Carr

Mary-Cabrini Durkin

Kathy Atkinson

Allen & Kyla Woods

Judy Rizzo

David Adams

Jedi Cowart

The Brew House

Brent Gallaher

Brad Weeks

Gayle Givens

Chris Flores

Becky Eckerlin

Sandra Coop

Hordinski Family

Cincinnati Development Fund

Andrew Palamara

Andrew and Linda Manning

Michael Manning

Kerry Dalton

Thea Munchel

Kevin Tighe

Jena Bradley & Matt Scott

Jeanne Golliher

Anna Goroncy

Stradtman Properties

Kathryn Gibbons

Hand Family

Kara Luggen

Nick and Coral Dill

Heather Cockram

Derek Bauman

Chanel A Sanders

Janie Wagner

Macy Allan

Toilynn ONeal

Selena

Vicki Ciotti

Sandra Lettie

Patrice Watson

Edward Robert Ratterman

Bob Driehaus

Frank Henson

Charles Dillard

Jordan Finley

Beverly Lamb

...and to all of the Anonymous donors, THANK YOU!