2018 Community First Grant Team Members and Community Partners
In November of 2018, we awarded $255,000 to 51 organizations that are increasing access to fresh, healthy food in their cities through the Community First Grant Program.
Through the program, Whole Foods Market Team Members nominate non-profits for a $5,000 grant. Programs funded include urban farms, mobile markets, and community gardens that get real food into people’s hands!
Here’s a snapshot of the Class of 2018:
- Grantees represent 40 cities in 21 states!
- 13 community partners from the 2017 program reapplied and were awarded again.
- A total of $630,000 has been awarded since the Community First Grant launched in 2016.
At the heart of each partnership is a deep respect for the good that already exists in the community’s food system and a desire to work with local leaders to build it up for the better.
Please join us in congratulating all the 2018 community partners and Whole Foods Market Team Members! Click on the Team Member name below to learn more about their CFG partnership.
Florida
Community Partner: Health In the Hood Inc. | Miami Beach, Florida
Team Member: Jimmy Jaime | South Beach store
Community Partner: Hebni Nutrition Consultants, Inc. | Winter Park, Florida
Team Member: James Thomas | Winter Park North Store
Community Partner: House Of Hope | Gainesville, Florida
Team Member: Chloe Dunnell | Gainesville Store
Mid-Atlantic
Community Partner: Franklinton Farms | Columbus, Ohio
Team Member: Alexandra Carson | West Lane Store
Community Partner: Norristown Project | Spring House, Pennsylvania
Team Member: Ali Resden | Springhouse store
Community Partner: Urbanstead | Philadelphia, PA
Team Member: Debbie Rivette | Mid-Atlantic Regional Office
Midwest
Community Partner: Keep Growing Detroit | Detroit, MI
Team Member: Julie Wainwright | Midtown Detroit store
Community Partner: The Community Gardens of Hope Hill | St. Louis, MO
Team Member: Edward Whittington| Galleria store
Community Partner: Urban Harvest STL | St. Louis, MO
Team Member: Jessica Seratti | St. Louis Metro (Galleria)
Community Partner: YWCA Evanston/Northshore | Chicago, IL
Team Member: Rachel Vanhoose | Sauganash Store
North Atlantic
Community Partner: Backyard Growers | Gloucester, MA
Team Member: Carol Styczko | Pigeon Cove Seafood Facility
Community Partner: Charter Oak Cultural Center | Glastonbury, CT
Team Member: Tom Neal | Glastonbury Store
Community Partner: Full Circle Garden | Hadley, MA
Team Member: Jane Pearson | Hadley store
Community Partner: Groundwork Somerville | Somerville, MA
Team Member: Amy Mercier | Somerville store
Community Partner: Grow Nashua | Nashua, NH
Team Member: Cathy Joly | Nashua store
Community Partner: Mill City Grows | Lowell, MA
Team Member: Jaimee Rondeau | Area East Marketing
Northeast
Community Partner: Capital Roots | Albany, NY
Team Member: Agnes Kerley | Albany Store
Community Partner: City Green | Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Team Member: Amy Epstein | Northeast Regional Support
Community Partner: Hester Street | Brooklyn, NY
Team Member: Maryann Young | Brooklyn Store
Community Partner: Red Hook Initiative | Brooklyn, NY
Team Member: Maryann Young | Brooklyn Store
Community Partner: United Community Centers | Brooklyn, NY
Team Member: Selom Adzamli | Brooklyn Store
Northern California
Community Partner: GiJosie, Inc. | Monterey, CA
Team Member: Kelli Takikawa | Monterey store
Community Partner: Homeless Garden Project | Santa Cruz, CA
Team Member: Beth Plevy Wyland | Northern California Regional Support
Community Partner: SOUL | Oakland, CA
Team Member: Juliette Tiger | Oakland Store
Community Partner: Spectrum Community Services Inc. | San Ramon, CA
Team Member: Roland Freiberg | San Ramon Store
Community Partner: Veggielution | San Jose, CA
Team Member: Alexander Estrada | Alameda store
Pacific Northwest
Community Partner: Common Threads Farm | Bellevue, WA
Team Member: Leah Abell | Pacific Northwest Regional Support
Community Partner: Foundation for Sustainable Community | Bellevue, WA
Team Member: Leah Abell | Pacific Northwest Regional Support
Community Partner: Solid Ground | Bellevue, WA
Team Member: Leah Abell | Pacific Northwest Regional Support
Rocky Mountain
Community Partner: Hunger Free Colorado | Denver, CO
Team Member: Alison Goodhart | Union Station store
Community Partner: Veterans to Farmers | Colorado Springs, CO
Team Member: Lisa McCranie | Pikes Peak store
South
Community Partner: Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga | Chattanooga, TN
Team Member: Mark Zielke | Chattanooga store
Community Partner: EATSouth | Montgomery, AL
Team Member: Deric Sallas | Montgomery store
Community Partner: Feast Down East | Wilmington, NC
Team Member: Chelsea Thornhill | Wilmington store
Community Partner: Knowledge Quest | Memphis, TN
Team Member: Lexi Adams | Poplar Avenue and Germantown stores
Community Partner: Landmark Training Development Company | Memphis, TN
Team Member: Lexi Adams | Poplar Avenue and Germantown stores
Community Partner: Memphis Tilth | Memphis, TN
Team Member: Lexi Adams | Poplar Avenue and Germantown stores
Community Partner: Ship Outreach and Community Center | Cary, NC
Team Member: Erwin Davenport | Cary store
Community Partner: World Hunger Team, Inc. | Franklin, TN
Team Member: Nakita Click-Putala | McEwen store
Southern Pacific
Community Partner: Farm LA | Redondo Beach, CA
Team Member: Michelle Woodruff | Redondo Beach store
Community Partner: Vegas Roots | Las Vegas, NV
Team Member: Gabrielle Thomas | Las Vegas Metro
Southwest
Community Partner: Bonton Farms | Dallas, TX
Team Member: Steffany Villalobos | Southwest Regional office
Community Partner: Healthy BR | Baton Rouge, LA
Team Member: Lindsey Litchfield | South Louisiana Metro
Community Partner: Healthy Tarrant County Collaboration | Fort Worth, TX
Team Member: Steffany Villalobos | Southwest Regional office
Community Partner: Taste Project | Fort Worth, TX
Team Member: Steffany Villalobos | Southwest Regional office
Community Partner: Townfolk, Inc. | Lafayette, LA
Team Member: Paul Weinbach | Ambassador Caffery store
Community Partner: West Houston Assistance Ministries | Houston, TX
Team Member: Michael Cooley | Westchase store
Global
Community Partner: Foundation Communities | Austin, Texas
Team Member: Selina Serna | Global Support
