The Foundation has announced the awardees of the Worcester County Food Bank Fund to End Hunger. The fund is focused on projects that offer sustainable solutions addressing hunger through advocacy and programs that incorporate best practices. Those organizations receiving funds this year are:
- AIDS Project Worcester to increase support for their nutritional consulting work.
- Boys & Girls Club of Worcester to support two teen positions within the Kids Cafe Program.
- Building Futures support for the fall like skills workshop series within the A Better Life program.
- Catholic Charities Worcester County for the purchase of a small refrigerator and program materials for their Emergency Stabilization and Homelessness Prevention Program.
- Centro, Inc. for purchase of a refrigerator, freezer and shelving for their food pantry.
- Community Harvest Project support for CRAVE, a pilot program in partnership with South High School.
- Dismas House of Central Massachusetts for purchase of gardening tools for their Recovery Grows Worcester program.
- Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center for the purchase of supplemental learning tools for nutrition programming.
- Friendly House for equipment purchases for their food pantry.
- Gardner Community Action Committee for the purchase of supplemental ingredients for their Tasting Tuesday program.
- Gardner Public Schools to purchase equipment for their Food Services Program.
- Growing Places Garden Project Support for the new North Central Healthy Food System Coordinator role.
- Jeremiah's Inn Support for their new Garden-to-Table Initiative.
- Milford Youth Center for the purchase of equipment to support the Milford Youth Center Food Services Program.
- Montachusett Opportunity Council for the purchase of equipment to support their CARE AIDS Services Program.
- Muslim Community Link for the purchase of equipment to be used at Black Seed Farmers' Market.
- Pernet Family Health Service Support for their Emergency Assistance Food Pantry and Infant Supplies Program.
- Quinsigamond Village Community Center for the purchase of equipment for their food pantry.
- Rachel's Table Support for their food rescue programming.
- Rainbow Child Development Center for Seeds to Health Program, a nutritional education program in partnership with Community Harvest Project.
- Regional Environmental Council for UGROW Pilot Program, a school garden support squad pilot.
- Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts for cultural food programming support.
- Spanish American Center for support of their Breakfast Cafe and Soup Kitchen programming.
- Tasks for Transit, Inc. Support for the one day WRTA bus pass program.
- Tri-Parish Community Church Food Pantry for operational support during the Hardwick Food Pantry Summer Farmers' Market.
- United Way of Tri-County for transportation costs to make its Wheat Community Connections Program more accessible for elderly residents.
- Veterans, Inc. to support food services programming through the purchase of commercial steamer for kitchen at Independence Hall.
- Worcester Community Action Council Support for the launch and upkeep of their Head Start garden.
- Webster Public Schools for the purchase of equipment to update serving lines at Webster Middle and Bartlett High Schools.