Reinvestment Fund, in partnership with The Food Trust, with generous support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, awarded $700,000 in grant funding to four awardees for round one of the New Jersey Innovative Healthy Food Retail Initiative (NJ IHFRI).
The NJ IHFRI provides grant funding to innovative food business models that process, distribute, aggregate, market, or sell healthy, fresh, and affordable foods to underserved communities and markets in New Jersey. In total, the Initiative will offer $1.5 million in grant funding for eligible projects up to $200,000 for predevelopment and implementation activities. Round One of the Initiative closed in July 2024 and Letters of Interest (LOI) submissions for Round Two are now being accepted as of September 17, 2024.
“The New Jersey Innovative Healthy Food Retail Initiative was created to complement the groundwork and opportunities created by other major funders of the New Jersey food system such as the New Jersey Food Security Initiative,” said Kahfii King, Program Manager, Reinvestment Fund. “With this initiative, we wanted to support innovative food retail models that are more community led, owned, and operated by providing catalytic capital that will jumpstart a new food retail or food supply chain business model or expand an existing one.”
“With the growing national focus on addressing food access challenges in underserved areas, Healthy Food Financing Initiatives play a crucial role in supporting innovative, community-driven solutions that empower local residents to take charge of their food systems,” said Marisol Zavaleta Martin, Senior Associate, The Food Trust. “From utilizing advances in mobile technology for Norwescap’s sliding scale community supported agriculture (CSA) program, to the creation of nonprofit-led grocery stores, these first-round projects are not only creating healthy retail options that are accessible and sustainable, but also building stronger local economies and making a lasting impact at the neighborhood level. By investing in business planning, market expansion and community-driven retail models that accept SNAP and prioritize affordability, we are ensuring that local needs and priorities shape the solutions.”
The Initiative looks forward to the exciting and innovative work ahead for the first-round awardees. The first round will support four New Jersey nonprofit organizations, each with a deep history in serving their communities. First round awardees include:
Over the last 1.5 years, Ranch Hope has worked collaboratively with other local organizations on revitalization efforts in Salem New Jersey, leading the team to seek funding for its very own community-led grocery store after the closure of its last grocery store in 2017. “Through funding by the Initiative, community engagement in the store’s development process, design, and organizational structure will all take place to ensure sustainability and success long-term,” says Ranch Hope’s CEO, David Bailey, Jr. Ranch Hope will work with Purpose Built Communities and The Authority to deep conduct community engagement and manage the store’s development.
In Prospect Park and Haledon, New Hope Community Ministries will expand upon their thriving food buying club, The Harvest. “The goal of The Harvest is to improve access to affordable and healthy food, specifically among low-income individuals within Prospect Park and Haledon, NJ. Our unique program provides group-purchased, pre-ordered staple foods for sale to community members below market price, reducing food costs and increasing food security,” says Morgan Herman, Senior Manager of Food Security. “Prospect Park and Haledon are under-resourced and overlooked communities lacking access to healthy foods, making them the perfect place for the food buying club to operate.” NJ IHFRI funding will support equipment purchases to expand operational capacity and a marketing consultant to bring awareness to The Harvest’s immediate community.
The NJ IHFRI is currently accepting LOIs for Round Two, due on Monday, October 21st. The Initiative is open to New Jersey-based entities working to improve access to affordable, fresh, healthy foods in underserved communities through innovative retail or food supply chain business models. Applicants can seek up to $200,000 for their projects. Learn more about the Initiative and how to apply at: https://www.reinvestment.com/grants/nj-innovative-healthy-food-retail-initiative/
Media Contact: media@reinvestment.com
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About Reinvestment Fund
Reinvestment Fund is a national mission-driven financial institution that creates opportunity for underserved people and places through partnerships. We marshal the capital, analytics, and expertise necessary to build strong, healthy, and more equitable communities. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Reinvestment Fund has put $3.2 billion in cumulative lending and investments to work for communities across the country since 1985. Beginning with the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative (FFFI) in 2004, we have developed a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to improving the food landscape for low-income people. Since that time, we have provided more than $371 million in grants and loans to healthy food projects. Learn more at www.reinvestment.com.
About The Food Trust
Founded in 1992, The Food Trust works with neighborhoods, institutions, retailers, farmers and policymakers across the country to ensure delicious, nutritious food for all. Backed by three decades of research and evaluation, our holistic, community-centered approach to nutrition security weaves together three core programming elements — access, affordability and education — as well as a focus on advocating for public policy solutions. Today, The Food Trust works with partners across the country to develop and implement Healthy Food Financing Programs that offer financing and technical support to grocery stores and other healthy food retail in under-resourced neighborhoods. Learn more at www.thefoodtrust.org.