Grassroots groups get grants to bring fresh food to Indy communities

Indianapolis is partnering with a national nonprofit and local organizations to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to communities around the city. 

Eight Indianapolis nonprofits will receive $10,000 grants to help provide food throughout the summer and fall. The grants come at a moment when Indianapolis families could face increased food insecurity. Federal lawmakers have proposed deep cuts to federal food assistance programs. 

The grants are funded by the Partnership for a Healthier America as part of a national campaign to make it easier for families to make healthy food choices. They were announced at an event on Monument Circle Wednesday.

“It focuses on being able to help our community members just make one healthy choice within their meal options throughout,” said Cheria Caldwell is the administrator of Community Nutrition and Food Policy for the Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety. 

Many Indianapolis residents struggle to get fresh fruits and vegetables because they face barriers including high prices, limited grocery stories and a lack of transportation. The grants target communities that struggle to access fresh food, Caldwell said.

The local groups that received grants are: Breeding Tabernacle CME Church, Christ Church Apostolic, Community Alliance of the Far Eastside, Harrison Hill Elementary School, Indy Parks, Kidz Coalition, Mackida Loveal & Trip Outreach Center and VOICES. The grants will support groups distributing food through pop-up events. 

Families may have an even harder time accessing food soon. The national Republicans' proposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act would cut billions of dollars in federal funding from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.

“There are going to be families who are going to have very limited food resources and services,” Caldwell said. “That's why it's so important for us to continue to collaborate with grassroots and nonprofit organizations who are in these communities.” 

The Partnership for a Healthier America, which funded the grants, has supported food aid in Indianapolis, including a program to deliver fresh food to families.

Contact WFYI education reporter Dylan Peers McCoy at dmccoy@wfyi.org.