The Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ) Camden Food Innovation Fund has awarded $52,500 in grants to two local organizations for programs that innovatively increase access to healthy food and create economic opportunity in Camden City. This is the second round of grantmaking for the pooled fund, a partnership of Campbell Soup Company’s Healthy Communities Program, Wells Fargo Regional Community Development Corporation, TD Charitable Foundation, Subaru of America and the E. Parker and Lillian Worley Fund of CFSJ.
A grant of $27,500 was made to Respond Inc. to provide entrepreneurial training on how to prepare meals for resale to parents, seniors, and people in the community. Urban Promise Ministries received $25,000 to leverage UrbanChef’s existing staff and equipment to launch a catering social enterprise.

“Based on the success of the last round of grants, the funding partners are excited about this initiative to support dynamic nonprofits who are dedicated to improving the city’s food system by increasing access to healthy food and doing so in a way that positively impacts the local economy. This has proved to be great opportunity for multiple foundation and partners to collaborate.” said CFSJ executive director Sidney Hargro.

A selection committee composed of food system experts and philanthropic professionals chose the two winning proposals, which prioritized creativity and social entrepreneurship.

For more information, contact Sidney Hargro (shargro@communityfoundationsj.org) or Alice Andrews (aandrews@communityfoundationsj.org). They can also be reached at (856) 528 3385, or visit www.communityfoundationsj.org.