Kellogg Company and United Way Worldwide have selected grant winners from the United to Feed Innovation Challenge.
Underwritten by Kellogg and one of the company's charitable funds, the partnership with United Way Worldwide supports initiatives across the globe that create sustainable and equitable access to food in a unique way.
Finalists will receive grant funding to help improve or scale up their projects.
"Kellogg and United Way have been community partners for close to a century," said Stephanie Slingerland, Kellogg Company's Senior Director, Philanthropy and Social Impact. "Programs like the United to Feed Challenge -- especially the efforts it's supporting and funding -- can help create long-term impact in local communities.
"We are thrilled with the important work that will be supported by this Challenge and look forward to our continued partnership with United Way to advance sustainable and equitable access to food."
Three finalists received $25,000 to support their projects:
Judges' Choice: United Way of Southern Nevada -- United Way of Southern Nevada wants to expand the Green Our Planet Farmpreneur and Hydroponics programs at twelve K-12 Schools to help teach students about sustainable food production. The programs teach students about nutrition and equitable access to food and instill early-stage skillsets in food production and entrepreneurship. Students grow their own vegetables using raised beds and hydroponics, then sell them at a farmers' market -- and manage the related finance, marketing and advertising.
Judges' Choice: United Way of Cass Clay (North Dakota) -- United Way of Cass Clay in North Dakota helped create a program that is repackaging the food from school cafeterias that is uneaten, helping to reduce food waste and food insecurity. The program has a vision to expand to universities, colleges and other unique partners who have an opportunity to reduce waste in their local food supply chains.
Audience Choice: United Way Hungary -- United Way Hungary founded Junior Magic Chefs, a set of free cooking classes for students at a local school housing children that are living with extreme poverty. This funding will help the program continue to provide children with daily meals, as well as teaching self-sustaining cooking, nutrition, and composting skills aimed at helping to break the cycle of poverty.
Two other finalists received $5,000:
United Way of Southwest Michigan -- United Way of Southwest Michigan Healthy Corner Store concept aims to improve food access in neighborhoods with limited nutritious food options, as well as provide nutrition education and other basic services. This funding will help with expansion of a Corner Store location.
Maui United Way -- Maui United Way has created a layered mapping technology tool to quantify gaps in the local food system that also assesses community need, costs and what kind of food is food being grown within the county to help address food security gaps.
The United to Feed Innovation Challenge is part of Kellogg's Better Days environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, which is our promise to advance sustainable and equitable access to food by addressing the intersection of wellbeing, hunger, sustainability, and equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I).
Categories: Michigan, Business, North Dakota, Business