Food City continues its fight against ‘food apartheid
St. Louis American Staff | December 8, 2023
The Serving Our Communities Foundation [SOCF] has awarded $436,000 in grants to St. Louis-based food nonprofits and businesses through its Food City initiative. Grant winners were announced November 30, 2023, at City Winery and 18 Rails at City Foundry.
Grants range from $1,000 to $150,000 and include other benefits.
“The entire purpose of Food City’s inaugural campaign has been to identify the greatest needs and most workable solutions and then to allow those learnings to inform the future of our work,” said Darren Jackson, SOCF chief operations officer said.
“What we’re learning is that these organizers, farmers, and entrepreneurs are the solution to ending food apartheid, increasing access to opportunity within the food economy, expanding healthful food options across every zip code, and building a future of food for all.
“The first thing we’re doing is expanding our initial funding.”
Jackson explained that the original deadline for applications had been extended through October 16.
“We’ve talked to a lot of entrepreneurs and organizers who have good ideas but weren’t going to apply because they felt they wouldn’t be competitive and [we extended] the deadline because these are exactly the folks we want to meet and support,” Jackson said.
Matching Funds up to $10,000 from Food City to “powerful community organizations to advance their work and catalyze new connections.
Coahoma Orchards, Dail Chambers
Central Baptist Church St. Louis, Natasha Nedrick
Growing Food Growing People, Inc., Leah Burnett
Habuyta, Orly Peters
Welcome Neighbor STL, Jessica Bueler
