10 Years and 71 New Reasons to Celebrate
Whole Cities’ vision, heart, and ethic were born a decade ago, working to broaden access to fresh, healthy food and nutrition education by supporting grassroots partnerships on the local level. Our commitments look different in each community because different barriers to healthy food access require different solutions.
We are thrilled to share that since our founding in 2014, Whole Cities has employed this community-first approach to partner with over 332 nonprofits across 169 cities in the U.S. and Canada, contributing more than $5 million to local communities.
And we’re not stopping there. Through programs like the Community First Grant, we are able to meet the needs and reflect the desires of the people we serve, be respectful and responsive to different perspectives, and champion locally led solutions — just like we set out to do 10 years ago.
We’re celebrating by awarding 71 Community First Grants to U.S. and British Columbia nonprofit organizations. This year’s grantees will receive an average of $9,000 each for a total investment of over $639,000!
Whole Cities is on a mission to improve individual and community health through collaborative partnerships, nutrition education, and broader access to nutritious food. We champion projects that nurture people’s power to grow food and expand the range of fresh produce available in their neighborhoods.
Through a community-led process, Whole Cities offers grants to nonprofits with food access projects like urban farms, mobile markets and community gardens which provide fresh, affordable produce close to home. Read on to learn more about our approach.
A Celebration of Urban Farmers
This year we celebrated National Farmer’s Day as a day to acknowledge the work, time, and efforts that go into feeding and nourishing a nation, and we want to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on urban farmers — the problem solvers, innovators, and often unsung heroes in many underserved communities.
At Whole Cities, we see urban farming as one of the essential pathways forward, and urban farmers as agents of change. They are helping to reimagine community-driven solutions for building thriving, sustainable local food systems, growing neighborhood health, and creating more just and equitable communities. Read on to learn how urban farmers impact local communities beyond providing fresh, healthy food access.
Healthy Food for All Podcast
Hear from Whole Cities community partners to learn about healthy food access and find out what happens when everyone has a seat at the fresh, healthy food table.