Newman’s Own Foundation Makes $550,000 in Grants for Food Sovereignty for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
Westport, CT – Newman’s Own Foundation today announced a commitment of $550,000 to support initiatives that increase food sovereignty, access to fresh food, and nutrition education in 19 states. From Urban Creators in Philadelphia, PA, to Partnership with Native Americans headquartered in Addison, TX, and serving dozens of tribal reservations, all of the organizations receiving grants are led by or serve Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC).
North Central Philadelphia is a predominantly African-American community, and due to decades of disinvestment, has some of the highest concentration of land vacancy, deep poverty, youth violence, and food insecurity in the nation. Urban Creators has engaged over 5,500 students and volunteers in growing fresh food for the community. At the same time, they have provided 121 jobs for local youth and contributed to a 40% decrease in Part 1 Violent crime in their immediate area. Founded in 2010, Urban Creators is led by a diverse group that makes all major decisions through consensus. Of their nine core staff members and co-creators, eight are people of color, five are members of the immediate community, and four are former participants of their youth programs.
Newman’s Own Foundation’s grant is supporting the creation of Urban Creators’ Mobile Market to respond to the changing needs of the community because of COVID-19. The Market offers fresh produce, hot meals, PPE, diapers, voter registration, and social service navigation.
“It’s a pleasure to do the work that we do, and we at Urban Creators are grateful to be acknowledged for it by Newman’s Own Foundation,” says Rob Sonder, co-director of event management of Urban Creators. “We will be using these resources to add to our infrastructure in order to assist small businesses and first time entrepreneurs by creating a co-op with the goal of sharing a network and resources to increase the local economy while increasing our capacity so we can continue to serve, educate, and empower more people in our North Philadelphia community.”
“Newman’s Own Foundation has supported fresh food access and nutrition education programs for more than 35 years,” says Miriam Nelson acting President and CEO of the Foundation. “We are pleased to be able to support strong BIPOC leaders as they seek to improve the well-being of children and families.”
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About Newman’s Own Foundation
Paul Newman was committed to helping make the world a better place. To carry on his philanthropic legacy, Newman’s Own Foundation turns all net profits and royalties from the sale of Newman’s Own products into charitable donations. To date, Paul Newman and Newman’s Own Foundation have given over $560 million to thousands of charities around the world. For more information, visit www.newmansownfoundation.org.
