Mars Food & Nutrition North America, Delta Group, and The MolinaCares Accord have announced the second-year grant recipients of the Washington County Food Access Improvement Fund. This initiative, established in 2023, is a three-year partnership committed to improving access to nutritious meals for residents of Washington County, Mississippi.
In its second cycle, the Fund has awarded $87,500 to eight local nonprofit organizations focused on providing healthy food to those in need. This brings the total amount awarded to $167,000 to date. The grant recipients include a mix of new and returning organizations: Hearty Helpings Food Pantry, St. Vincent DePaul Society, New Jerusalem Church Food Pantry, Mississippi Delta Nature and Learning Center, Hodding Carter Memorial YMCA, Sankofa Food Sovereignty Alliance affiliated with Rural Development Leadership Network, East Park Community Outreach Food Pantry, and TCOTLG’s Community Outreach Fruits of Love Food Pantry.
“We are proud to see a second cycle of the Food Access Improvement Fund and an increase in the number of applicants and grants awarded in Greenville and throughout Washington County, Mississippi, where we have proudly produced Ben’s Original™ for more than 45 years,” said Denis Yarotsky, regional president of Mars Food & Nutrition North America. “This partnership allows us to continue to fulfill our commitment to improving access to healthy food and live our purpose of Better Food Today. Better World Tomorrow.”
The Fund was created to assist organizations that strive to improve food access in the Washington County area while also growing their capacity and increasing the quantity of healthy food distributed to at-risk and vulnerable populations. During its first year, the Fund saw great success, assisting over 20,500 residents combined.
“This grant, awarding up to $15,000 per application, will provide each organization with additional resources to effectively build and sustain their programs,” said Bridget Galatas, plan president of Molina Healthcare of Mississippi. “Molina is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and families across the state.”
The Washington County Food Access Improvement Fund continues to make a significant impact in the community, ensuring that more residents have access to the nutritious food they need.