(NewMediaWire) – December 02, 2021 – DALLAS – In certain geographies across the country, there is a life expectancy gap of 20 to 30 years between different neighborhoods within the same cities, food and nutrition insecurity is among the root causes. To sustainably address food insecurity in Chicago and Atlanta, the American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, today announced 10 local businesses and nonprofits will receive nearly $2.2 million in funding from the Association’s Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund.
Thanks to a $5 million grant from the Walmart Foundation as part of the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity, two separate rounds of funding have been made available through the Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund in Chicago and Atlanta. Today’s announcement is the second round of funding. The nationwide fund provides financial resources for evidence-based, community-driven entrepreneurial solutions that help remove social and economic barriers to health equity.
“The Walmart Foundation is helping to bring healthy, nutritious food to people in under-resourced communities in Chicago and Atlanta,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “Through their generous support of the American Heart Association’s Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund, together we are providing capital to organizations and social entrepreneurs who are making wide-reaching and lasting impact in their community.”
“With the first set of fund recipients already making an impact in their communities, we are excited to see how this funding will help this group of community-based organizations expand access to healthy food in Chicago and Atlanta,” said Kirstie Sims, senior director of the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity. “This work supports innovations that will improve access to healthier food in communities of color, a key part of our mission at the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity.”
The second set of recipients are:
Atlanta
Eat Right Atlanta is an affordable produce service that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables and operates pop-up markets at health systems across Atlanta and the surrounding areas.
Focused Community Strategies- Carver Market is small grocery store selling fresh and affordable produce, meat, dairy, and other grocery staples to the community in South Atlanta.
Patchwork City Farms is a 1.2 acre independently owned urban farm at the leading edge of the farm to table, slow food and sustainable agricultural movements.
Miller City Farm is a 4+ acre family-operated micro-farm. They also operate Seed the Community Nursery to address the lack of high quality, readily available and affordable seedlings for local growers.
Bread and Butter Farms produces organically grown, and all natural foods providing customers with a variety of healthy food options.
SMV Market aims to provide affordable access to fresh, locally sourced groceries to residents of the City of Stone Mountain via a mobile market.
Chicago
Black Oaks Center is a 40-acre campus in Pembroke Township, Illinois that works to sustainably cultivate the next generation of Black farmers while providing produce into local markets. They bring high-quality, nutritious and culturally acceptable food to communities in Chicago and Southland.
ChiFresh Kitchen is a worker cooperative food service contractor that is owned and managed by Black women who were previously incarcerated. They offer food that is freshly cooked, healthy and rooted in the culture and traditions of the people being served.
Finding Justice: A Flower and Vegetable Garden aims to provide the community access to fresh produce at a fair price to give way to a better quality of life.
Southside Market’s mission is to increase healthy food access and business ownership on the South side of Chicago and beyond.
Since its launch in June 2020, the Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund has supported 50 social entrepreneurs and nonprofits in New York City, San Francisco, Detroit, Oakland, California., Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, the greater Washington D.C. region and Seattle. The fund honors the late Bernard J. Tyson, long-time American Heart Association volunteer and former Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO. Tyson worked tirelessly to overcome structural and systemic barriers to support social justice and equitable health for all.
To learn more about the Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund and future funding opportunities, visit heart.org/ bernard-j-tyson-fund.
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
About the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity
The Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity was founded through a $100 million commitment over five years to address the drivers of systemic racism in society and accelerate change. The center’s initiatives fund research, advocacy, innovation of practices and tools, stakeholder convening and non-profit capacity building with a focus on four systems: finance, health, education and criminal justice. The mission of the center is to complement and extend the societal impact of Walmart business initiatives to advance racial equity within these four systems, and our work extends the overarching philanthropic work of Walmart.org. To learn more, visit Center for Racial Equity.
For Media Inquiries:
Sabrina Williams, Sabrina.Williams@heart.org, mobile: 305-987-8739
For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and stroke.org