FoodCorps Announces New Supporters for Nourishing Futures Initiative to Ensure All Students Have Equitable Access to Food Education and Nourishing, Free Meals by 2030

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CONTACT: FoodCorps@ssmandl.com

FoodCorps Announces New Supporters for Nourishing Futures Initiative to Ensure All Students Have Equitable Access to Food Education and Nourishing, Free Meals by 2030

Humana Foundation, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, the Joyce & Irving Goldman Family Foundation, and the Massachusetts Community Health & Healthy Aging Funds support growing initiative with $3.5 million in new commitments

NEW YORK CITY (February 14, 2023) – FoodCorps, a national nonprofit that partners with schools and communities to nourish children’s health, education, and sense of belonging, today announced $3.5 million in additional funding commitments received for the Nourishing Futures initiative, a $250 million commitment that seeks to ensure all 50 million students learn about food and have access to nourishing, free meals in school by 2030. The new cohort of supporters includes Humana Foundation, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, the Joyce & Irving Goldman Family Foundation, and the Massachusetts Community Health & Healthy Aging Funds.

Nourishing Futures’ new supporters build on the initial commitment from partners including MacKenzie Scott, Newman’s Own Foundation, Inclusive Capital Partners Foundation, and Walmart Foundation, among others, and will expand the reach of the initiative around the country:

  • Humana Foundation: $2.5 million commitment to expand FoodCorps’ impact by reaching more students in schools and districts across its Southern Region over the next three years.
  • The Joyce & Irving Goldman Family Foundation: $300,000 to support FoodCorps’ advocacy and awareness-building strategies across the Northeast Region including the launch of an alumni network to engage in state and national policy work with FoodCorps.
  • Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation: $250,000 to support FoodCorps’ efforts to increase BIMPOC (Black, Indigenous, Multiracial, People of Color) representation and leadership in school nutrition departments across the country.
  • Massachusetts Community Health & Healthy Aging Funds: $450,000 to support increased and sustainable access to  culturally responsive hands-on food education and nourishing school meals for students across the state of Massachusetts. 

“The support of our partners is what makes our goal of providing every single student in the country with nourishing meals and food education, especially those who face disproportionate inequities in health and education, possible,” said Dr. Robert S. Harvey, FoodCorps President. “We thank our philanthropic partners for their generous support and for sharing our commitment to creating a more equitable future, starting within our schools. Together, we are working to ensure that the food our children eat in school provides nourishment, as well as the power and joy, that allow them to succeed and thrive for years to come.”

The initiative, first announced at the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022, will accomplish its goal by:

  • Partnering with schools and districts to advance their goals for food education and school nutrition, expanding FoodCorps programming to reach 500,000 students a year;
  • Preparing 1,000 BIMPOC emerging leaders for mission-driven careers in the fields of food education and school nutrition; and
  • Mobilizing 1 million supporters for policies that expand free school meals; fund food educators; update garden, kitchen, and cafeteria infrastructure; strengthen local supply chains; and support the food education and school nutrition workforce. 

“Too many children in underserved communities face an unprecedented lack of nourishing meals and food education,” said Tiffany Benjamin, Humana Foundation CEO. “We’re committed to advancing the health and future of these children and we’re beyond proud to support FoodCorps and their Nourishing Futures initiative.”

Philanthropic supporters of FoodCorps’ Nourishing Futures to date include Inclusive Capital Partners Foundation; Humana Foundation; The Joyce & Irving Goldman Family Foundation; MacKenzie Scott; Mars Food; The Massachusetts Health Foundation; Melissa Williams; Newman’s Own Foundation; Olo, through the Olo for Good Fund at Tides Foundation; Orgain Clean Nutrition; The Rachael Ray Foundation; Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation; Susan and David Tunnell; Thrive Market; Walmart Foundation; W.K. Kellogg Foundation; and The William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation.

Visit foodcorps.org/whitehouseconference to become one of the 1 million supporters for Nourishing Futures and help FoodCorps ensure that all 50 million students have access to free and nourishing meals and food education.

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About FoodCorps 

FoodCorps partners with schools and communities to nourish children’s health, education, and sense of belonging so that every child, in every school, experiences the joy and power of food. Our AmeriCorps members serve alongside educators and school nutrition leaders to provide children with nourishing meals, food education, and culturally affirming experiences with food that celebrate and nurture the whole child. Building on this direct service, FoodCorps advocates for policy change, grows networks, and develops leaders in service of every child’s health and well-being. Our goal is that by 2030, every child will have access to food education and nourishing food in school. 

To learn more about FoodCorps’ work across the country, visit http://www.foodcorps.org or follow @foodcorps on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.