CSX and the Conservation Fund Announce Grant Recipients;
Improve Access to Healthy Food in Underserved Communities
ARLINGTON, Va. (Feb. 26, 2015) - CSX and The Conservation
Fund, partners in a program aimed at improving the transportation and
distribution of fresh, healthy food to communities in need, announced today
grant awards to 10 charitable organizations in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky,
Michigan, New York, Ohio and Tennessee. Each organization will receive $10,000
to enhance food delivery services so that they can bring fresh, nutritious food
to their communities.
In many underserved communities food distribution organizations,
such as food pantries, encounter difficulty getting fresh, healthy food. Many
producers and organizations also face challenges retaining quality and safety
as they sell, store, package and distribute fresh food. As a result, more than
23 million Americans across the country have limited or no access to fresh
produce, dairy, meats and seafood.
As a leading supplier of efficient rail-based freight
transportation in North America , CSX
recognizes the integral role that transportation plays in connecting
communities.
"At CSX, it's our job to connect communities through
transportation every day, so we are proud to work with The Conservation Fund to
support the local distribution of healthy and fresh food across many of the
communities where we work and live," said Tori Kaplan, Assistant Vice
President, Corporate Social Responsibility, CSX. "Partnering with local
organizations helps us live our commitment to improving the health and wellness
of communities across our 21,000 miles of track."
The Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit dedicated to
finding conservation solutions that balance environmental and economic needs,
has partnered with CSX to help address gaps in local food distribution and
enhance delivery capabilities.
"With CSX's partnership, we're not only helping to
connect America's families to fresh fruit and produce but we're also supporting
our local farmers and working farms," said Kris Hoellen, Vice President of
Sustainable Programs at the Conservation Fund.
"The Healthy Food Transportation Grant Program is a clear win for
American families and farmers."
The grant program supports organizations that distribute
fresh produce and perishable food in the 23 states where CSX operates.
Combined, the 10 recipient organizations provide nutritious food to
approximately six million people per year, bringing nearly 118,000,000 pounds
of food equaling 98,000,000 meals served each year.
Grant Recipients
Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Chattanooga , Tenn.
The Chattanooga Area Food Bank will use its funding to
purchase two manual foot pedal clipping machines and associated supplies allowing
them to efficiently bag bulk produce in smaller, easier to handle sizes. The
organization leads a network of partners in eliminating hunger and promoting
better health in its region. It purchases fresh food from local farmers in bulk
since most of its partner agencies do not have the capacity to accept,
transport, store and distribute 50 pound bags of potatoes, for example, nor do
elderly clients and children in need have the ability to transport and cook 50
pounds of potatoes. The new machinery will allow them to package food in
smaller quantities. Underserved and vulnerable populations will benefit from
increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and the Food Bank's increased
buying power will support local farmers and food systems.
The Deep South Community Agriculture Network (DSCAN), Darien , Ga.
DSCAN will use its grant to acquire a refrigerated truck,
and insurance for aggregation and cooling space for products produced by a
network of value chains in Mississippi , Alabama and Georgia . DSCAN is comprised of six
organizations working to develop chains in the following three sub-regions:
Southeast Alabama, the Mississippi Delta and a two-state sub-region of West
Alabama and East Mississippi . The organization
works to help African-American farmers achieve financial success. It sees
agricultural value chains through capacity support, coupled with first-hand
agricultural knowledge and deep relationships across communities, as a means
for black farmers to combine their resources to overcome these barriers by
fulfilling the increasing demand for local food in the region.
Farm Share, Inc., Homestead ,
Fla.
Farm Share will use its award to acquire more donated food
from farmers and businesses throughout Florida
and nearby states and transport it into Florida
communities to feed more low-income households. Food Share is a charitable
packinghouse dedicated to distributing nutritious food for people in need. It
administers a combination of produce recovery operations and USDA commodity
programs, and works within a network of nearly 1,000 community groups to help
distribute food to those who need it most in the state of Florida year round. The agencies receive
food from Farm Share warehouses and sister organizations in Homestead ,
Quincy , Jacksonville
and Pompano Beach , Fla. Florida 's food deserts
and impoverished neighborhoods.
Feeding America Tampa Bay , Tampa , Fla.
Feeding America
Tampa Bay Sumter , Hardee, Highland ,
Manatee and Hernando. Its mission is possible by redirecting food that would
otherwise be wasted, and providing it to organizations that can safely
distribute it to those in need.
Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank, Comstock Park , Mich.
The organization will use its grant to purchase a
Refrigerated Straight Truck which will expand its program capacity and broaden
mobile pantry distribution to additional individuals within communities in need
of fresh food in Michigan 's Upper
Peninsula . Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank's Mobile Food
Pantry is particularly effective in areas where there is inadequate
"hunger infrastructure," such as a lack of food pantries or pantries
that are limited in hours or refrigerated store capacity. The Refrigerated
Straight Truck will bring 21 additional new distributions of fresh food
annually to more than 7,000 underserved, food-insecure individuals in the Upper Peninsula by January 2017.
Food Pantries for the Capital District, Inc., Albany , N.Y.
The grant will be used to order a greater quantity of food
to support product and meat distribution to 53 food pantries serving 45,000
vulnerable and underserved people. The organization's food pantries fill a gap
by providing a minimum of three days' worth of nutritious grocery items for
many people on a monthly basis in Albany ,
Rensselaer and Saratoga
Counties
Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc., Indianapolis , Ind.
Gleaners Food Bank will use its grant fund to purchase six
600-quart and one 200-quart portable food chests to increase portability and
distribution of frozen protein items and fresh foods and produce to
food-insecure residents through the Gleaners Mobile Pantry program and senior
programming, including the pilot Senior Mobile Pantry program. Each Mobile
Pantry truck is typically loaded with more than four tons of flash frozen meat,
fresh product, dairy products, and high quality shelf-stable items. Clients
"shop" for food items, preserving their dignity and ensuring the food
they receive will be eaten.
Grow Appalachia, Berea ,
Ky.
The grant will be used to purchase a truck and refrigerated
trailer to serve as a Grow Appalachia food aggregator, delivering perishable
produce from Kentucky
to markets and other hubs of distribution. Grow Appalachia supplies financial
aid and technical support to 43 nonprofit organizations and will use their
refrigerated truck to collect product from its growers in Kentucky and deliver it to markets, food
hubs, and other centers of distribution.
Lake-to-River Food Cooperative, Youngstown , Ohio
The grant funds will be used to purchase a delivery vehicle
for transporting products from member farms and processing facilities to Lake-to-River Food Cooperative locations. Lake-to-River
Food Cooperative serves people, schools and workplaces in need within food
deserts in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana Counties Youngstown schools offer free lunches.
About CSX
CSX, based in Jacksonville ,
Florida United States , where nearly
two-thirds of the nation's population resides. It also links more than 240
short-line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major
population centers and small farming towns alike.
CSX is committed to helping communities it serves live
healthier, greener, safer lives. The company recognizes the importance for
these communities to gain regular access to locally grown, nutrient-rich, fresh
food. That's why CSX is supporting these grants to enable local charitable
organizations to transport and provide fresh food to people who need it, as
part of a healthier lifestyle.
About The Conservation Fund
At The Conservation Fund, we combine a passion for
conservation with an entrepreneurial spirit to protect America 's most
important lands and waterways for future generations. A hallmark of our work is
our deep, unwavering understanding that for conservation solutions to last,
they need to make economic sense. We strive to implement strategies that
support sustainable economic development, spark cutting-edge conservation and
bridge connections between people and the land. Top-ranked, we're advancing
vibrant, healthy communities. www.conservationfund.org
Contacts:
Kaitlyn Barrett
CSX Corporate Communications
904-359-1037
kaitlyn_barrett@csx.com
Robin Murphy
The Conservation Fund
703-797-2507
rmurphy@conservationfund.org