Media Contact:
Laura Lavid
Product and Operations Director, Fresh Food Connect
[email protected]
Gardening with a Cause
Nourishing Hope Partners with Fresh Food Connect to Engage Home Gardeners in Food Insecurity Relief
Chicago, IL — Sept. 22, 2021 — Nourishing Hope, a nonprofit focused on supporting Chicago neighbors with overcoming hunger, improving mental wellness, and achieving life goals, has become one of 50 nonprofits around the country to launch a mobile app that directs home and community gardeners to donate a portion of their fresh grown produce to support local hunger relief efforts.
Fresh Food Connect’s mobile app coordinates donations from home and community gardeners to local non-profit organizations working to address food insecurity on a local level. Gardeners download the app, and are prompted to indicate if they have surplus bounty to share. In zip codes across the country, home gardeners can easily arrange for extra produce to be picked up from their doorstep or delivered to a local organization providing free groceries.
“We all have a role to play in taking action against food insecurity in our communities,” said Kellie O’Connell, CEO of Nourishing Hope. “Providing healthy food to our neighbors is crucial to supporting overall health, and this partnership will help us continue to do so. From our committed volunteers to generous financial supporters to those who are able to donate their extra food and produce, this option is an exciting new way for our neighbors to get involved and give back.”
“We are thrilled to partner with organizations across the country that support community members facing food insecurity. We know that gardeners are some of the most generous people around, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to engage them in the critical hunger relief efforts happening in their local communities,” said Kayla Birdsong, CEO of Fresh Food Connect. “If you are a gardener, just download the free app and you will be connected to an inspiring organization in your community.”
Fresh Food Connect has exciting plans for the 2021 growing season and is actively recruiting gardeners to share their bounty of surplus produce from their gardens to hunger relief centers. You can learn more about becoming a gardener and sign up here.
About Fresh Food Connect
Fresh Food Connect currently operates with local nonprofits across twenty states. As gardeners plant their vegetable beds, they can plant an extra row knowing that their bounty can be directed to those who need it most with Fresh Food Connect.
About Nourishing Hope
Nourishing Hope works with our neighbors to overcome hunger, improve mental wellness, and achieve life goals. Celebrating 50 years of community engagement, action, and collaboration.