The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness (LMPHW) is now accepting applications from organizations to improve access, education, and equity in Louisville’s food system.
Donor Name: Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government
State: Kentucky
County: Jefferson County (LA)
City: Louisville
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 06/05/2022
Details:
LMPHW’s Center for Health Equity (CHE) has identified the food system as a significant root cause of health in its 2017 Health Equity Report. Access to nutritious foods can determine health outcomes such as diabetes, heart disease, and oral health. However, access to food and the financial benefits from the production, processing, and distribution are inequitably concentrated among White and wealthy residents with the physical burden of production of food being concentrated among Black and other communities of color. These inequities, such as geographic dispersion of full-service grocery stores or low-wage/high risk jobs being predominantly filled by Black and immigrant residents, have contributed to long-term impacts in communities that experience shorter average life expectancies.
LMPHW received a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) grant focused on reducing health disparities experienced in the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this grant, LMPHW is allocating $500,000 to address inequities in Louisville’s food system and food insecurity. LMPHW’s goal for granting funds for this project is to increase food security and sovereignty by strengthening the food system through food access, food education, and equitable opportunities within production and distribution.
All proposals should include intentional plans to address inequities within our local food system. Ideal proposals will include solutions that address one or more of the following:
- growing/production,
- processing,
- distribution, and/or
- consumption.
For example, projects could include (but are not limited to) solutions that combine increased access to affordable fresh food, improve consumer knowledge and skills, and improve equity for communities of color to benefit from supply, processing, and/or transportation of food.
Eligibility Criteria
- Organizations must focus their work in Jefferson County. Organizations or food production may be located outside of the county boundaries, but the project should directly impact residents of Louisville, especially those experiencing inequities within the food system.
- Awardees should either be an established non-profit organization or have a fiscal sponsor
- Strong preference for organizations led by individuals from groups who experience inequities in health outcomes or in their experience with the food system
- Proposal budgets cannot include the purchase of land or equipment over $4,999
- Applications must be postmarked or submitted online by June 5, 2022.
- Once awarded, all projects need to be completed by June 2023.
For more information, visit Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government.
