First investments will streamline the emergency food system
Sacramento, Calif.- The Sacramento Region Community Foundation announced that it has established a fund to support the regional food economy and will make the fund’s first investments to end local hunger, advancing the Foundation’s efforts to streamline the region’s complex emergency food system in partnership with Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) and that organization’s 224 partner agencies.
“The Sacramento area is known as the country’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, and yet, Sacramento County alone is home to 240,000 individuals who face food insecurity,” said Priscilla Enriquez, the Foundation’s Chief Giving Officer. “Only through strategic, collaborative efforts can we end hunger for good, and, from there, turn to the complex challenges that affect our region’s entire food system more broadly.”
The Healthy Food Economy Fund will help strengthen the regional food system, addressing the key recommendations of the Sacramento Region Food System Action Plan, a landmark report that details strategies to resolve the disconnect between the abundant agricultural output of the Sacramento region and the reality that many here suffer from limited access to healthy, fresh foods.
Through collaborative, large-scale investments to end hunger, the Healthy Food Economy Fund will improve the capacities of regional emergency food providers, harmonize their communications and network coordination, and improve their healthy food options.
“The best way to eliminate hunger is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the emergency food system. That first step will have an enormous impact,” said Enriquez, who noted that food insecurity is a region-wide concern. “We are inviting everyone in this community who cares about ending hunger, and who has a desire to be part of research-based solutions to join us in this work. A healthier, more nourished community is a more productive and economically stronger community.”
Since launching its Strategic Initiative to ameliorate local hunger, Connecting the Regional Food Economy, the Foundation has made sustained investments in the local food sector, including developing the Sacramento Region Food System Action Plan and directing a $100,000 grant to SFBFS to fund the initial phases of this work.
“The Foundation’s leadership in this effort has been remarkable,” said Blake Young, Chief Executive Officer and President of SFBFS. “They are uniquely positioned to steward this movement and ensure that donors’ gifts make the greatest impact in the Sacramento region. These initial investments will bolster the work of the 224 food providers, helping them work smarter to meet the needs of people who are hungry in their communities.”
The Foundation has been a trusted partner in charitable giving for over 35 years in the Sacramento region. It houses $133 million in total assets, and has awarded over $126 million since inception. To learn more about the Healthy Food Economy Fund and the Foundation’s leadership in the emergency food system, and to donate, visit www.sacregcf.org/healthyfood.
