Three nonprofits awarded grants for innovative solutions and commitment to ending the cycle of hunger within their communities
Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI), along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, announces the recipients of this year’s Nourishing Neighbors Innovation Spark Grants. Three innovative nonprofit organizations will receive $9 million in multiyear grants to support new programs designed to create long-term solutions and empower individuals and families to achieve lasting food security. Nourishing Neighbors is a charitable program of Albertsons Companies Foundation, and this is the second year the program has awarded Innovation Spark Grants designed to move people out of food insecurity.
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Photo Courtesy: Ashley Tillery, Hunger Free America
“Nourishing Neighbors has been instrumental in addressing the complexities of food insecurity, an issue that impacts over 18 million* American households, by helping ensure our neighbors in need have access to nutritious meals,” said Jennifer Saenz, EVP of Pharmacy and E-Commerce for Albertsons Cos. and Board Chair for Albertsons Companies Foundation. “Through the Nourishing Neighbors Innovation Spark Grants, we hope to enhance the work of innovative nonprofit organizations focused on building sustainable food security for individuals and families. This strategic support is designed to foster self-reliance and long-term stability in our communities.”
The following nonprofit organizations were selected to receive a Nourishing Neighbors Innovation Spark Grant of $3 million each in recognition of their innovative approaches, expertise and the potential for significant impact in eradicating hunger within local communities.
- Alpenglow Impact is a nonprofit organization working to improve well-being and build financial stability by supporting people during challenging times. The group’s largest program, Gift Card Bank, assists those who need it most by turning donations into gift cards, which are then distributed to neighbors in need. Initiated amidst the pandemic, this nationwide effort has extended support to nearly four million individuals. With the Nourishing Neighbors grant, Alpenglow Impact aims to launch a pilot program designed to assist low-income student mothers who are from underserved communities. This program will support their journey through community college to graduation, enable them to accrue a significant amount of savings and guide them in developing a financial strategy to invest in their future, with the goal of breaking the cycle of hunger for their families and future generations.
- Hunger Free America, a long-time partner of the Albertsons Companies Foundation, is a national nonprofit organization working to enact the policies and programs needed to end domestic hunger and ensure that all Americans have sufficient access to nutritious food. The Nourishing Neighbors grant will fund a project to enable at least 200 individuals in Maryland and Illinois who are unemployed, underemployed or employed in low-wage jobs to boost their long-term economic advancement by increasing their work skills and wages. The initiative will offer 16-week apprenticeships with comprehensive support and guidance, preparing participants for roles in the social service sector. Apprentices and Hunger Free America staff will work together to help thousands of families decrease their hunger and improve their nutritional security by carrying out outreach and enrollment activities for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women Infants and Children (WIC) and other resources, thereby enhancing the grant’s impact and promoting sustainable solutions to hunger within their communities.
- The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB), serving a region with the nation’s fourth highest number of people facing food insecurity†, is dedicated to bridging the hunger gap in North Texas by providing access to nutritious food. The Nourishing Neighbors grant will be used to enhance the food bank's initiatives, focusing on the development and maintenance of programs that extend past food distribution to create more connected, self-sufficient and food-secure communities. In partnership with a network of more than 500 partner agencies including food pantries and other direct-food providers, NTFB will utilize an innovative data mapping system to strategically determine need and evaluate resources invested in a geographic area. This approach enables NTFB to provide financial support and skills training to empower partner agencies in specifically identified ZIP codes to go beyond just food distribution. Through capacity building grants and additional supportive services, NTFB will equip partner agency programming that addresses underlying barriers to food security such as housing assistance, healthcare access and workforce development. These critical programs are designed to help close the hunger gap and empower individuals and families to acquire the skills, resources and knowledge necessary to support themselves, leading to sustainable solutions to food insecurity.
The recipients of last year’s Nourishing Neighbors Innovation Spark Grants included Share Our Strength, United Way Bay Area and FIND Food Bank. Over the past year, each recipient has made notable progress toward achieving the objectives they established with the aid of these grants. Share Our Strength has allocated funds to four organizations dedicated to assisting single mothers in overcoming poverty by accelerating wages and income for those working in cities such as Washington, D.C., Chicago and Denver. United Way Bay Area has selected 100 low-income families in Alameda County to receive monthly stipends and free financial coaching through SparkPoint Centers as part of a guaranteed basic income pilot. Additionally, FIND Food Bank has integrated nine college campuses into an innovative workforce development, market-style food distribution program that is enhancing the life skills and availability of nutritious food options for students.
“We developed the Nourishing Neighbors Innovation Spark Grants to help ignite the potential within communities, fueling innovative programs that aim not just to feed our neighbors in need, but to empower individuals to achieve food security,” said Christy Duncan Anderson, Executive Director of Albertsons Companies Foundation. “It is through collective effort and strategic support that lasting change can be realized. Together, we can transform the landscape of hunger and nourish the seeds of progress in every neighborhood.”
To learn more about Nourishing Neighbors, click here.
*USDA Household Food Security in the United States in 2023: Household Food Security in the United States
†North Texas Food Bank: North Texas Food Bank Impact Stats
About Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of June 15, 2024, the Company operated 2,269 retail food and drug stores with 1,725 pharmacies, 403 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under more than 20 well known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2023, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company contributed more than $350 million in food and financial support, including more than $35 million through our Nourishing Neighbors Program to ensure those living in our communities and those impacted by disasters have enough to eat.
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