Healthy Food Access Through Cold Storage Grant
Funding strategies that expand refrigeration and freezer space to ensure food is fresh, safe and available to Boston residents
The Mayor’s Office of Food Justice (OFJ) is accepting applications for funding to enable the storage and distribution of perishable food, including recovered and donated food. Funding will be allocated for cold storage, refrigeration, other cold chain equipment and associated capital and operational expenses. Our goal is to support organizations within the emergency food system (e.g. food pantries) and the food recovery ecosystem (e.g. food recovery organizations) to connect nutritious foods to Boston residents in historically disinvested communities who face food insecurity and limited access to affordable, healthy food options.
If you need this information in a language other than English, contact foodgrants@boston.gov or call 617-635-5701.
Background
The emergency food system in Boston faced unprecedented demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to feel the strain today. The City of Boston, along with public and private entities and numerous nonprofits, played a vital role in addressing the urgent food security needs of marginalized residents during the crisis. In the past few years, emergency food distribution channels across the city have expanded significantly, but they are struggling to keep up with ongoing demand. Improving Boston’s food distribution systems is essential to ensuring that our residents have reliable access to nutritious food and that the organizations serving them have the necessary resources to sustain and grow.
The Office of Food Justice also seeks to increase the amount of fresh food that is being recovered. Recovered food is surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and creates opportunities for linkages with excess fresh food coming from terminal markets, outdoor markets, wholesalers, Massachusetts farms, grocery stores, and restaurants.
Increasing the scale of recovered food is one way to systematically address the limitations of accessing fresh fruits and vegetables experienced by Boston residents in many neighborhoods, while OFJ simultaneously strives to address the root causes of food insecurity and limited access to fresh food.
Cold storage has emerged as a lynchpin to increasing access to fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Lack of refrigeration is a key roadblock to increasing access to recovered food that safely meets the health code and extends shelf life. Funding cold storage will help increase the volume of food that is eaten instead of wasted, will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food going to landfills or incinerated and will also better the availability of culturally relevant foods. The purpose of this grant is to fund strategies that expand refrigeration and freezer space throughout the “cold chain” – to ensure food is fresh, safe and available to residents.
Full grant description
Grant descriptionDetails and Timeline
Funds
The Healthy Food Access through Cold Storage Grant will be funded through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The total amount available for the grant program is at a minimum $500,000. OFJ will award $5,000 - $95,000 per grant per organization.
Eligibility
Applicants must be 501(c)3 tax-exempt organizations that serve Boston residents. If your organization is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, you can apply with a fiscal sponsor. Applicants must be an organization that grows, collects, transports, stores, processes, distributes, and/or prepares food or feeds people. For a complete list of eligibility information please see the full grant description.
Deadline
Grant applications are due on October 23. Late applications will not be accepted.
Contact
If you have any questions, you can contact Laura Alves by emailing laura.alves@boston.gov or calling 617-635-5701.
Grant Timeline
| Application Launch Date | Thursday, September 26, 2024 |
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Virtual Information Session
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October 10, 2024 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. |
| Application Deadline | Wednesday, October 23, 2024 |
| Award Notification Timeline | mid - November |
| Grant Period | Approximately two years. All funds must be used by November 1, 2026. |
Application
ApplicationNotice of Accommodations
English: Interpretation, translation, and disability accommodation services are available to you at no cost. If you need them, please contact us at foodgrants@boston.gov, LCA@boston.gov, or 617-635-5701.
Spanish - Español: Hay servicios de interpretación, traducción y adaptaciones para discapacidades a su disposición sin costo alguno. Si los necesita, por favor póngase en contacto con nosotros mandando un correo electrónico a foodgrants@boston.gov, LCA@boston.gov o llamando a 617-635-5701.
Haitian Creole -Kreyòl ayisyen: Sèvis entèpretasyon, tradiksyon, ak sèvis akomodasyon pou andikape disponib pou ou gratis. Si w bezwen sèvis sa yo, tanpri kontakte nou nan foodgrants@boston.gov LCA@boston.gov oswa 617-635-5701.
Traditional Chinese - 繁體中文: 我們可以為您提供免費的口譯, 筆譯, 和殘疾人士合理照顧服務。如有需要，請與我們連絡，發電子郵件至 foodgrants@boston.gov LCA@boston.gov 或致電 617-635-5701
Vietnamese - Tiếng Việt: Các dịch vụ thông dịch, dịch thuật và hỗ trợ người khuyết tật được cung cấp miễn phí cho bạn. Nếu bạn cần họ, vui lòng liên lạc với chúng tôi theo địa chỉ foodgrants@boston.gov LCA@boston.gov hoặc 617-635-5701.
Simplified Chinese - 简体中文: 我们可以为您提供免费的口译, 笔译, 和残疾人士合理照顾服务。如有需要，请与我们联系, 发电子邮件 foodgrants@boston.gov LCA@boston.gov 或致电 617-635-5701
Cabo Verdean Creole - kriolu: Nu ta oferese-bu sirvisus di interpretason, traduson y sirvisus di komodason pa gentis ku difisénsia di grasa. Si bu meste kes sirvisu la, kontata-nu pa email foodgrants@boston.gov LCA@boston.gov ó pa telefóni, pa númeru 617-635-5701.
Arabic - العربية
خدمات الترجمة الشفوية والتحريرية والتسهيلات لذوي الإعاقة متوفرة لك دون تحملك أي تكلفة. إذا احتجت لهذه الخدمات، يرجى التواصل معنا على البريد الألكتروني foodgrants@boston.gov ،(LCA@boston.gov)، أو على رقم الهاتف 6176355701
Russian -Русский: Услуги устного и письменного перевода и по приспособлению инвалидов предоставляются бесплатно. Если Вам они нужны, просьба связаться с нами по адресу электронной почты foodgrants@boston.gov LCA@boston.gov либо по телефону 617-635-5701
Portuguese - Português: Disponibilizamos serviços de tradução e interpretação e adaptações especiais para pessoas com deficiências gratuitamente. Para solicitar, envie e-mail para foodgrants@boston.gov, LCA@boston.gov ou ligue para 617-635-5701
French - Français: Les services d'interprétation, de traduction et d'adaptation aux personnes handicapées sont à votre disposition gratuitement. Si vous en avez besoin, veuillez nous contacter à foodgrants@boston.gov, LCA@boston.gov ou au 617-635-5701
Somali - Af Soomaali: Adeegyada tarjumaadda luuqadaha iyo hoyga naafada ayaa diyaar kuu ah adiga oo aan wax kharash ah ka bixin. Haddii aad u baahatid iyaga, fadlan nagala soo xiriir foodgrants@boston.gov, LCA@boston.gov ama 617-635-5701
