GLSS AND PHOENIX FOOD HUB RELEASE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR HEALTHY FOOD AND NUTRITION PROGRAMMING
Greater Lynn Senior Services (GLSS) and Phoenix Food Hub invite nonprofit, 501(c)3 community organizations to apply for funding in support of nutrition initiatives that assist in the reduction of food insecurity in Lynn. This funding will support community initiatives that meet a specific and demonstrated need, serve populations that are typically harder to reach, and strengthen collaboration across the local and regional food security network. Funding for the Community Grant Program is made possible by Mass General Brigham.
“Access to nutritious food is critical for good health outcomes,” said Elsie Taveras, MD, MPH, Chief Community Health & Health Equity Officer at Mass General Brigham. “We are so proud to support our community partners, the Phoenix Food Hub and Greater Lynn Senior Services (GLSS), in this annual grant process seeking innovative ways to more equitably address food insecurity in the communities that Mass General Brigham serves.”
Phoenix Food Hub is located on the ground floor of GLSS’ office building at 8 Silsbee Street in downtown Lynn. It serves people of all ages in and around the Lynn area—a one-stop shop where individuals and families at risk of nutrition insufficiency can access a variety of resources to help them better manage their overall health and well-being. It is an initiative of the Lynn Food Policy Council—a consortium of dozens of community organizations, including GLSS, working together to address the root causes of hunger. Catholic Charities—also a member of the Food Policy Council—operates a food pantry on site.
“Phoenix Food Hub is a true community collaboration, and by providing this funding, we hope to draw in more organizations which share our vision for addressing health disparities and food insecurity from a grass roots, community-wide perspective,” says Kathryn C. Burns, GLSS’ Chief Executive Officer. Currently, GLSS and its partner organizations are offering healthy cooking classes; nutrition education and counseling; benefits counseling; and information and referral.
“We plan to award up to $125,000 this year and hope to promote as many projects as possible,” Burns states. “We are excited to hear others’ ideas for creatively addressing the critical challenges of health disparities and food insecurity facing our community.” Grant requests may include, but are not limited to, teaching kitchen classes that promote healthy eating and that reflect cultural preferences; nutrition classes; community garden programs; food distribution programs; nutrition mentoring programs; programs that can centralize and/or share key resources such as volunteers, vans, chefs, etc.; mobility supports to connect isolated families to PFH and other nutrition programs; and healthy eating promotions.
“Our hope is that these grants help neighborhood-focused organizations to fill small but difficult resource gaps and enable them to reach and serve many more residents in need,” Burns said. “We can't wait to see what ideas will be presented in the upcoming proposal round.” Last year, the Community Grants program funded food trucks, food vouchers, cooking equipment, food delivery, community gardens, and more.
More information, instructions, and an application form can be found at www.phoenixfoodhub.org/For-Providers. The funding period runs from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. Deadline for applications is Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Questions may be addressed to Andrew Wallace, Community Grants Administrator, by phone at 781-599-0110, Ext. 6702, or by email at awallace@glss.net.