Harvard Pilgrim awards $40K to Maine community garden programs
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, based in Wellesley, Mass., has awarded almost $40,000 to nine nonprofit community garden programs in Maine. The disbursement is part of $220,747 the foundation’s Health Food Fund is distributing in grants to 52 programs in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
“This year, to celebrate the creation of the Harvard Pilgrim Healthy Food Fund, we focused our first round of grants on local garden and community farming programs to increase access to fresh, local food for low- and moderate-income families,” Karen Voci, president of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, said in a release announcing the grants. “These gardens, and the organizations they serve — food co-ops, food pantries and farm memberships — strengthen communities and are an important first step to good health.”
Priority consideration was given to projects that help to expand and build the permanent capacity of the gardening programs, introduce new locations, purchase equipment, and expand the staff or group of volunteer participants. Grant eligibility required that applicants were registered as nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations.
Grant recipients in Maine will receive a total of $39,926. They are:
• Bayside Neighborhood Association, Portland: Revitalize and rebuild garden and community, $3,900.
• Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust, Brunswick: Increase capacity at Tom Settlemire Community Garden, $5,000.
• City of Auburn: New community garden for low-income residents in collaboration with St. Mary’s Nutrition Center, $5,000.
• City of Saco: Build and expand community garden, $4,987.
• Goodwill Industries of New England, Portland: Construct gardens for therapy and rehabilitation patients, $4,500.
• Maine 4-H Foundation, Rockland: Expansion of community gardens at Coastal Children’s Museum, Youthlinks and Rockland High School, $5,000.
• Motivational Services, Inc., Augusta: Community garden and healthy cooking classes, $3,239.
• Somali Bantu Community of Maine, Lewiston: Garden expansion and supplies, $5,000.
• Spurwink Services, Chelsea: Expansion of therapeutic garden, $3,300.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments