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USDA Awards $900,000 to the NH Food Bank to Expand ‘NH Feeding NH’ Program
NH Food Bank to collaborate with NH Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food to expand program providing those in need with access to locally grown food
Manchester, N.H. – The New Hampshire Food Bank has received a $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support efforts to provide those in need with access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy. With this grant through the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA), the New Hampshire Food Bank and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food (NHDAMF) will work together to expand the Food Bank’s ‘NH Feeding NH’ program, a statewide initiative supporting the purchase of food from New Hampshire farmers to provide food insecure Granite Staters with increased access to nutritious, locally grown fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat.
“This critical funding enables us to grow our NH Feeding NH program to not only support more local farmers, but also to help nourish communities in need, reduce food waste, and replenish the local economy,” said Eileen Liponis, Executive Director, New Hampshire Food Bank. “We are grateful to the USDA and NHDAMF for this grant, which will be instrumental in our ongoing mission to eliminate food insecurity in New Hampshire.”
NH Feeding NH is a statewide initiative in partnership with the New Hampshire Food Alliance, New Hampshire Farm Bureau and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire (NOFA-NH). During the initiative’s first year in 2020, 170 farms in New Hampshire participated in this innovative new program, providing nearly 40,000 pounds of food. Through this funding from the USDA, the New Hampshire Food Bank anticipates expanding NH Feeding NH to work with 283 partner agencies statewide, which will provide an estimated 129,470 people experiencing food insecurity with access to locally grown food.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for New Hampshire producers to have their fresh products reach a segment of our population which may not ordinarily have access to vegetables grown in New Hampshire. This will also provide a chance for the New Hampshire Food Bank and these producers to develop relationships which they would not otherwise have,” said Shawn N. Jasper, New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Commissioner. “We are hopeful that there will be avenues for these partnerships to continue and grow in the future. NHDAMF is proud to be part of this effort and we look forward to assisting in educating the public about the importance of locally produced foods. We hope that everyone understands that in these challenging times the more food we grow in New Hampshire, the better we will be able to withstand supply chain issues.”
In addition to the USDA grant, the New Hampshire Food Bank received more than $40,000 in donations during NH Gives, New Hampshire’s largest online fundraising event for nonprofits, which will go toward the NH Feeding NH program. The $40,000 donation included a $10,000 NH Gives matching gift from the Hirshberg Family Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
In 2021, the New Hampshire Food Bank distributed more than 17 million pounds of food to more than 400 nonprofit food agencies in all corners of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Food Bank expects to continue increasing food distribution to meet the need.
For more information and to donate, visit www.nhfoodbank.org.
About the New Hampshire Food Bank
The New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, has been working to relieve hunger in the Granite State since 1984. The New Hampshire Food Bank receives no federal or state funding for food distribution. In 2021, as the state’s only Food Bank, the New Hampshire Food Bank efficiently procured and distributed more than 17 million pounds of food to people in need through more than 400 non-profit registered agencies. Agencies include food pantries, neighborhood centers, low-income housing sites, senior nutrition centers, family crisis centers, hospices, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after school programs, and day care centers. For more information. For more information about the New Hampshire Food Bank, please visit www.nhfoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
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