Employee-nominated grants drive community involvement and impact during Hunger Action Month

CHICAGO, Sept. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conagra Brands Foundation has announced the 2024 recipients of the "Nourish Our Community" grants, awarding one-year grants to 20 nonprofits across 10 states, totaling $350,000 in funding. In support of Hunger Action Month, a time when people come together nation-wide to raise awareness and take action on the issue of food insecurity, Conagra's involvement through these grants will help to create positive social impact in the communities where its employees live and work.

For over three decades, Conagra's Nourish Our Community grant program has empowered and encouraged employees to take a role in the grant-making process, nominating nonprofit organizations that address the issues of food insecurity, cooking skills, nutrition education, healthy and active lifestyles and/or urban agriculture. Each grant application is thoughtfully reviewed by a committee of cross-functional employees who analyze, discuss, and select the final recipients.

"Every September, the Nourish Our Community grant program gives our employees the power to make a difference locally, providing relief to their neighbors who may be facing food insecurity," said Robert Rizzo, Senior Director, Conagra Brands Foundation. "Through this program, we not only raise awareness on this issue, but simultaneously provide financial support to organizations that can make a direct, meaningful impact in our communities."

Hunger Action Month, a Feeding America initiative, aims to take action on the issue of food insecurity in the United States. Conagra Brands Foundation's longstanding partnership with Feeding America includes a wholistic approach that strategically leverages employee volunteerism, product donations and cash contributions to impact food insecurity on a national level. Conagra's philanthropic efforts support national research that increases the collective understanding of the issue of hunger and its impact on vulnerable populations and diverse communities; philanthropic support to improve access to nutritious and culturally relevant food through capacity building efforts that increase front line hunger relief agencies efforts to better serve the community and, national efforts to advance equity, diversity and inclusions efforts. Conagra also provides significant product donations that are distributed to Feeding America's network of 200 food banks.

More information about each of the "Nourish Our Community" grant recipients can be found below:

AGING WITH SPIRIT FOUNDATION (NE)

Project: Meals on Wheels: Nourishing Older Adults Through Partnerships

Aging with Spirit Foundation provides daily meals to elderly people in the community. The Meals on Wheels project strives to help older individuals facing food insecurity by providing them with a hot, nutritious meal daily. The Conagra Brand Foundation funding will help to deliver over 1,600 meals.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Susan J. – Omaha, NE

ARCHBOLD FISH (OH)

Project: Food Assistance

Support from the Conagra Brands Foundation will enable Archbold Fish pantry to purchase a wider variety of food items, including milk, eggs, bread, and protein. This will create a more consistent food base for pantry clients. Archbold Fish pantry is dedicated to assisting low-income community members, ensuring they have access to essential nutrition.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Leann K. – Archbold, OH

BACK PACK BLESSINGS (GA)

Project: Weekend Meals and Snacks

Back Pack Blessings fills backpacks with a variety of nonperishable, child-friendly foods. These backpacks are distributed to elementary students, ensuring they have something to take home over the weekends when their food access might be limited. By doing so, the program helps increase academic potential, as students are not worrying about hunger while at school. The Conagra Brand Foundation's funding helps keep costs low, ensuring the availability of backpacks for 550 students.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Stacy R. – Atlanta, GA

BRIDGE TO HOPE (WI)

Project: Hope for the Hungry

Bridge to Hope provides shelter and assistance to individuals impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. With funding from the Conagra Brands Foundation, Bridge to Hope will increase the variety of foods and protein options in its pantry by 50 percent. Additionally, the funds will be used to supply kitchen kits, ensuring clients have the necessary kitchen supplies when they move into their own homes.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Sara B. – Menomonie, WI

CARE FOR FRIENDS (IL)

Project: Food Access for Our Neighbors

The Conagra Brands Foundation grant supports Care for Friends' efforts to fulfill their mission of providing fundamental food programs for individuals in Chicago experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Care for Friends offers nutritious on-site meals in a welcoming communal setting, operates a well-stocked food pantry, and delivers fresh groceries to low-income families.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Brad H. – Chicago, IL

CHARITY BLOOMS (IL)

Project: Growing the Youth Community

Charity Blooms is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in their local community through horticulture, agriculture, and education. Over the past seven years, they have grown and donated over 21,000 pounds of food to the community. The Conagra Brands Foundation grant will support improvements in their production methods for the 2025 growing season.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Brenda J. – Chicago, IL

CITY SPROUTS (NE)

Project: Growing Food Access

City Sprouts uses urban agriculture to foster equitable food systems, offer educational opportunities, and strengthen community bonds. Each year, over a thousand community members visit its garden. With support from the Conagra Brands Foundation, City Sprouts aims to enhance accessibility by installing a paved pathway and educational signage in English, Spanish, Braille, and imagery. These additions will ensure that everyone in the community can enjoy and benefit from the garden.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Randy V. – Omaha, NE

COMMUNITY ACTION OF SOUTHEAST IOWA (IA)

Project: Community Action Lee County Iowa Food Pantries

Funds provided by the Conagra Brands Foundation support Community Action of Southeast Iowa's efforts to purchase food for two of their food pantries in Lee County. This funding will ensure a variety of food to meet the diverse needs of the population and help increase in the availability of protein in the pantries.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Sarah Y. – Fort Madison, IA

COMPLETELY KIDS (NE)

Project: Weekend Food Program

Completely KIDS is committed to empowering and educating children and families. The funds provided by the Conagra Brands Foundation will go towards purchasing healthy food items for take-home food bags, a component of the Weekend Food Program. The Weekend Food Program is designed to ensure that every child participating in its afterschool program has access to nutritious food to sustain them over the weekend, when a meal is not guaranteed. This program provides over 800 take-home bags of food per week.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Brittany R. – Omaha, NE

CONSCIOUS ALLIANCE (CO)

Project: Feed Kids Not Landfills

Funding from the Conagra Brands Foundation helps Conscious Alliance to fulfill its mission of rescuing and redistributing nutritious meals and snacks to children in the Denver metro area. By reducing food waste and ensuring that rescued food reaches those in need, the organization significantly enhances the physical and emotional well-being of these children.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Kimbralee H. – Denver, CO

CROSS CHRISTIANS REACHING OUT IN SOCIAL SERVICE (MN)

Project: CROSS Food Recovery and Food Shelf Programs

For over 40 years, Cross Services has provided emergency food services to individuals and families in Hennepin County. With support from the Conagra Brands Foundation, Cross Services will enhance its community food shelf. The community food shelf operates to address food insecurity by rescuing and redistributing nearly 1.5 million pounds of perishable food, ensuring that almost all of the distributed food is saved from going to waste.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Pat S. – Maple Grove, MN

GIRLS INC. OF WASHINGTON COUNTY (MD)

Project: Kids Café

Girls Inc. is dedicated to serving young women in the community through impactful programs that provide access to healthy and nutritious meals and snacks. These programs promote the adoption of positive, long-term eating habits. This grant supports the Kids Café, which provides daily snacks and dinners. The girls in the program are involved in planning the menu, budgeting, and using produce they grow in the organization's garden for the meals.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Ashley M. – Hagerstown, MD

GOOD SAMARITAN FOOD PANTRY (IN)

Project: Healthy Harvest 365

Good Samaritan Food Pantry's Healthy Harvest 365 project aims to partner with local growers and producers to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, and other natural food products year-round. Additionally, the project educates clients on these items' preparation, use, and nutritional benefits. Funds from the Conagra Brands Foundation help keep costs low, ensuring clients have access to fresh, nutritious products throughout the year.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Rena C. – Rensselaer, IN

IT'S A BLESSING TO BE A BLESSING (MD)

Project: Bagged Lunch Initiative

Support from the Conagra Brands Foundation will enhance the Bagged Lunch Initiative, which offers free bagged lunches to economically disadvantaged individuals and families in Hagerstown, MD. This funding will enable the organization to expand its capacity, providing 120 lunches daily from Monday to Friday.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Rhianna S. – Hagerstown, MD

JUSTICE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS NEBRASKA (NE)

Project: Nourishing Our New Neighbors

Justice for our Neighbors Nebraska, the state's largest nonprofit immigration legal services provider, will use funding from the Conagra Brands Foundation to cover the first week of food for its clients. This support ensures that clients' new homes are fully stocked with culturally appropriate food, providing a warm and welcoming environment for families upon their arrival.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Julie P. – Council Bluffs, IA

LITTLE BROTHERS - FRIENDS OF THE ELDERLY (IL)

Project: Food Bag Delivery Program

Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly has a mission of relieving isolation and loneliness among the elderly. The Nourish Our Community grant will fund fresh food, protein, and pantry staples to prepare a week's worth of meals for 160 Chicago seniors monthly who are living independently and would not otherwise have access to sufficient nutritious food.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Erin D. – Chicago, IL

NOURISH MEALS ON WHEELS (CO)

Project: Nourish Meals on Wheels

Nourish Meals on Wheels is dedicated to enhancing the lives of older and homebound adults in South Metro Denver by delivering nutritious meals and essential services that foster dignity, well-being, and independence. With the support of the Conagra Brands Foundation grant, Nourish Meals on Wheels aims to expand access to nutritious food for older, low-income, and homebound individuals who are unable to afford the cost of meals.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Sue P. – Denver, CO

OMAHA FORUS (NE)

Project: Pride Pantry / Healthy Futures

Omaha ForUs fosters community and equitable spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals and families in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa. Support from the Conagra Brands Foundation will enhance food security and nutrition for LGBTQ+ youth and families by supporting the Center's food pantry and offering healthy snacks, nutrition education and the development of essential kitchen skills.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Jason H. – Omaha, NE

STAR FARM CHICAGO (IL)

Project: Community Dinners and Food Delivery Program with Star Farm Fresh Kitchen

Star Farms aims to strengthen the Back of the Yards community in Chicago by using its urban farm as a platform for vocational programming, community events, and farm-to-table workshops. The grant from the Conagra Brands Foundation will support community dinners designed to create a space for community members to connect and provide feedback on their needs and how Star Farms can best support them. These dinners will also enhance their culinary program by allowing participants to apply their training.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Kathryn A. – Chicago, IL

YOU FEED THEM MISSIONAL FOOD PANTRY (IN)

Project: Food Pantry Initiative

You Feed Them Missional Food Pantry provides food to anyone experiencing food insecurity. The support from the Conagra Brands Foundation will assist in facilitating their food distribution program. You Feed Them has been distributing bags of groceries and toiletries to individuals in need in the Indianapolis area. The funds will be utilized to purchase food, with a specific focus on protein, which will be distributed to the community.

Nominated by Conagra Brands employee: Sarah A. – Indianapolis, IN

About Conagra Brands

Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), is one of North America's leading branded food companies. We combine a 100-year history of making quality food with agility and a relentless focus on collaboration and innovation. The company's portfolio is continuously evolving to satisfy consumers' ever-changing food preferences. Conagra's brands include Birds Eye^®, Duncan Hines^®, Healthy Choice^®, Marie Callender's^®, Reddi-wip^®, Slim Jim^®, Angie's^® BOOMCHICKAPOP^®, and many more. As a corporate citizen, we aim to do what's right for our business, our employees, our communities and the world. Headquartered in Chicago, Conagra Brands generated fiscal 2024 net sales of more than $12 billion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com.

About Conagra Brands Foundation

Conagra Brands Foundation believes everyone has a right to healthy and nutritious food knowing that food insecurity exists in every U.S. county. The Foundation partners with exceptional national and local nonprofits with high-impact programs located in the communities where we live and work. By focusing our efforts within five areas: Direct Food Access, Cooking Skills, Nutrition Education, Healthy and Active Lifestyles and Urban Agriculture, we are able to be a leader in the fight against food insecurity in North America.

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