The F.R.E.S.H. Project recently received a three-year grant from the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region’s Basic Need Giving Partnership to continue its efforts at ensuring all area residents have access to healthy, sufficient food. The grant increases the F.R.E.S.H. Project’s ability to serve the Shawano County, Stockbridge-Munsee and Ho Chunk communities by hiring new staff. The Project recently welcomed Barbara Mendoza as its Project Coordinator and Dan Robinson as its Program Assistant.
“We’re excited about this next stage of the F.R.E.S.H. Project’s work,” said Ms. Jo Ann Schedler and Ms. Kim Ihrcke, co-chairs of the Project. “The Foundation’s grant and the new staff, combined with our many community partners, will make it possible for the F.R.E.S.H. Project to increase its efforts. We’ll be working hard to make sure children, families, our elders, and everyone in our communities will be food secure, knowing they’ll have access to the food they need.”
The staff will be working with the F.R.E.S.H. Project Food Council members to implement the Project’s strategic plan. Already, the F.R.E.S.H. Project has created a “double bucks” program at the Shawano Farmers Market. This program provides Food Share participants with more resources to purchase fresh produce at the Market.
In the future, the F.R.E.S.H. Project will provide educational resources on food security and healthy eating, expand the “Share the Bounty” program which makes fresh produce available to all area residents, and create a mobile market to bring fresh produce and other food items to rural areas with limited transportation access.
The F.R.E.S.H. Project started two years ago with a Plan 4 Health grant, which allowed the F.R.E.S.H. Project to do an assessment of the region’s food needs, develop an initial volunteer board to guide its work, and create a strategic plan to increase food access and security in the area.
With the generous three-year grant from the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region, the F.R.E.S.H. Project will begin implementing its strategic plan. To fully engage this work, however, the Project will need to raise additional money as well as develop community support and volunteers. Anyone who would like to learn more about the project and get involved can go to the FRESH Project website at www.thefreshproject.org, or contact Barbara Mendoza at 715-526-5206 or barbara@thefreshproject.org.
