GLCF Helps Get More Healthy Food to Those in Need
LOWELL – As COVID-19 has exacerbated food insecurity all around the region, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) has made it a priority to help the hungry put more healthy food on the table. By providing recent grants to two local organizations — Mill City Grows in Lowell, and Gaining Ground in Concord — GLCF is improving community access to organic fruits and vegetables during the pandemic through its COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund grants.
“These incredible nonprofit partners aim to increase the quality and quantity of fresh produce available to emergency-food programs in Greater Lowell,” said Jay Linnehan, GLCF President & CEO. “The foundation recognizes the unprecedented need during this pandemic to address the food insecurity in our community and fund creative solutions to get healthy food options to residents.”
GLCF continues to target the lack of nutritious food, especially after its recent survey of Greater Lowell nonprofits revealed that one of their top three needs was improved food quality —specifically better-quality fresh produce, as well as culturally sensitive food options, explained Jennifer Aradhya, GLCF’s Vice President of Marketing & Progams.
“Access to healthy, local food is as much about social justice as it is about health,” said Aradhya. “The two organizations that received these grants have a proven track record of providing nutritious options to under-served families who want a healthier lifestyle for their future.”
Feeding the hungry, as well as addressing the larger issues of unequal access to healthy food, are what drive Mill City Grows and Gaining Ground. Even though the pandemic has forced both organizations to modify operations, they are more committed than ever to growing and delivering organic fruits and vegetables to local food pantries, mobile markets, farm shares and individuals unable to leave their homes.
“Food pantries need sources of fresh produce,” explained Jennifer Johnson, Executive Director of Gaining Ground, a three-acre, nonprofit organic farm in Concord. “If you think about it, most of the food gathered in church and school food-drives consists of canned goods. Too often, the produce donated to food pantries is past peak or damaged.
“At Gaining Ground, we donate 100 percent of our produce so we don’t have to make a distinction between what we sell and what we donate. And all the food we donate is top-quality, fresh and beautiful,” she said.
Founded more than 25 years ago, Gaining Ground normally uses volunteers to work its fields and hoop houses, explained Johnson. But last summer, no volunteers were allowed on site, due to COVID-19 health restrictions. Nevertheless, by hiring extra staff, the farm harvested and donated more than 127,000 pounds of fresh produce to organizations in Ayer, Bedford, Carlisle, Concord and Westford, as well as other outlets in greater Boston. “That’s the equivalent to 509,000 individual servings,” said Johnson.
Serving those who work and live in Lowell, Mill City Grows was founded 10 years ago following a city-wide food assessment, explained Executive Director Jessica Wilson.
“What we learned from that survey was that most people in Lowell know they should be eating five or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day,” said Wilson. “But many don’t because they don’t live near stores that sell produce — or because prices for fresh fruits and vegetables are prohibitively high.
“Mill City Grows wants the community to have more access to fresh produce,” she said. “We want it to be affordable, and, when possible, we want to grow it in Lowell. We also want it to reflect the cultures our residents come from.”
With its four Lowell farms, plus 20 community and school gardens, Mill City Grows produced more than 40,000 pounds of fresh produce last year, despite mandated COVID-19 restrictions on volunteers. The group also distributes organic produce purchased from local farms and other growers around the state.
Through no-cost weekly farm shares, Mill City Grows offered fresh produce to 150 families last summer, and another 62 over the winter, Wilson explained. More than 5,000 pounds of produce were donated directly to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank. The group also trains people to grow their own organic food in community plots, and offers cooking classes to teach families how to incorporate more fresh produce into meals.
“There is a very high rate of diabetes in Lowell — much higher than in surrounding towns — ac-cording to the Greater Lowell Health Alliance,” said Wilson. “When new immigrants come to the U.S., their diet often changes radically — and not always for the better.”
“It can be really challenging to see all sorts of unfamiliar produce in the store, while the fruits and vegetables you know from your home country are missing,” she said. “But, what if the produce you know IS available? And what if you have learned how to prepare these new varieties of fruits and vegetables? That changes everything!”
Mill City Grows varies what it grows every year. “Basically, we take recommendations from people in the community,” said Wilson. “One year, we grew five different varieties of eggplant, another year we grew a lot of daikon radish. In our hoop houses we grow ginger and turmeric, which are popular spices in Southeast Asian cuisine.”
“If it can be grown in this climate, we do our best to make it happen,” she said.
Graining Ground also alters what is planed based on community feedback, according to Johnson. “Coronavirus hasn’t changed what we grow, but we always ask our partners what people like,” she said.
“For example, our partners in Westford have requested radishes and cabbages, so we grow several different varieties of these vegetables and send those their way,” she said.
“Also, we don’t grow a lot of potatoes,” Johnson added. “Our partners have told us they can get good potatoes from other sources. What they want from us are our organic leafy greens.”
About Greater Lowell Community Foundation
The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF), founded in 1997, is a philanthropic organization comprised of over 390 funds, now totaling over $50 million, dedicated to improving the quality of life in 21 neighboring cities and towns. The Community Foundation annually awards grants and scholarships to hundreds of worthy nonprofits and students. GLCF is powered by the winning combination of donor-directed giving, personal attention from its staff, and an in-depth understanding of local needs. Our donors’ generosity has enabled GLCF to award more than $25 million to the Greater Lowell community.
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