GNOF Awards $322,000 in Grants to Combat Food Insecurity in Southeast Louisiana Magnified by COVID-19

May 19, 2020

Greater New Orleans Foundation Awards $322,000 in Grants to Combat Food Insecurity in Southeast Louisiana Magnified by COVID-19. Round IV Grants made possible from gifts to GNOF’s Disaster Response and Restoration Fund.

NEW ORLEANS – Today, the Greater New Orleans Foundation awarded $322,000 to nonprofits in Southeast Louisiana to help combat food insecurity worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These grants to area nonprofits are aimed at bolstering efforts that provide meals to seniors and homebound people who are socially distancing, vulnerable households due to unemployment, and to strengthen volunteer coordination and food delivery.

“Our foundation is able to lean forward in the midst of disaster because we have the infrastructure to quickly get impactful grants where they are most needed,” said Andy Kopplin, President and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. “The overwhelming generosity of our donors is inspiring and fuels our ability to strengthen the efforts of nonprofits delivering critical services.”

“As we begin the city’s reopening and recovery from this pandemic, supporting our people will not only be necessary, but the best thing we can do for one another right now,” said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “My team is proud of the work we are doing with foundations and nonprofits, especially GNOF, on the ground to increase access and food delivery for the most vulnerable in our community. It is vital that we meet our people where they are.”

Since the start of this pandemic, GNOF’s Disaster Response and Restoration Fund has awarded $1,260,00.00 to nonprofits serving our 13 parish region. This round of Disaster Response and Restoration Fund grants is made possible due to the generosity of many individuals and families, including leading contributions from the Kresge Foundation, Ford Foundation, Hearst Foundation, Janet and Barry Lang, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Baptist Community Ministries, Metabolic Studio, Bentson Foundation, Keller Family Foundation, Target Foundation, and Green Family Foundation.

Through the Greater New Orleans Foundation Disaster Response and Restoration Fund, we honor the tradition of “paying it forward” by coordinating with a network of community foundations when disaster strikes other communities to get immediate support to the most vulnerable citizens. Our Disaster Response and Restoration Fund provides immediate relief as well as long-term support. We plan to support communities throughout our region over the long haul as we recover from the impact of COVID-19.

Round IV Disaster Response and Restoration Grant recipients include: Second Harvest Food Bank, Our Daily Bread, Good Samaritan, Northshore Foodbank, Broadmoor Improvement Association, Lowernine.org, United Saints, Lantern Light at the Rebuild Center, Familias Unidas en Accion, El Pueblo NOLA, Transgender Law Center, Market Umbrella, Level Up Campaign, Nola Tree Project, Hands On New Orleans, Volunteers of America, HOPE the Food Pantry, Trinity Community Center, Camp Restore, Gladewaves, Kingsley House, Zion Travelers, Grace at the Greenlight, Culture Aid NOLA, Top Box Foods, Recirculating Farms Coalition, and Mary Queen of Vietnam.

A description of the enhanced services that will be made possible by these grants are below.

Broadmoor Improvement Association
Grant funds will support the food pantry and delivery coordination for homebound Broadmoor residents.

Camp Restore
Grant funds will support meal distribution for seniors and people with compromised immune systems in New Orleans East.

Culture Aid NOLA
Culture Aid NOLA is a collaborative relief effort of several New Orleans area nonprofits serving culture and hospitality workers. Grant funds will support food distribution and outreach to musicians and artist.

El Pueblo NOLA
Grant funds will support food delivery to undocumented households.

Familias Unidas en Accion
Grant funds will support food delivery to undocumented households.

HOPE the Food Pantry
Grant funds will support the food pantry in meeting increased demand for pantry staples in New Orleans East.

Gladewaves
Grant funds will support continued distribution of meals for seniors in the Broadmoor neighborhood.

Good Samaritan
Grant funds will support the food pantry, diaper bank for babies, and emergency assistance for Slidell residents.

Grace at the Greenlight
Grace at the Greenlight has gone from serving 75 meals per day to 725 meals per day. Grant funds will support increased community need for homeless feeding outside of shelters.

Hands On New Orleans
Grant funds will be used to improve coordination of volunteer deliveries of meal requests received through 311.  They will also fund an update of the Crisis Cleanup website to track meal requests from 311 calls and response for all volunteer organizations.

Kingsley House
Grant funds will support the virtual operations of the Kingsley House senior program that is providing meal deliveries and social supports for seniors.

Lantern Light at the Rebuild Center
Grant funds will support increased community need for homeless feeding outside of shelters.

Level Up Campaign
Level Up Campaign is a youth-led organization serving hot meals to homebound elders. Grant funds will be used to support the 200 meals the organization provides weekly to elders.

Lowernine.org
Grant funds will support the food pantry for Ninth Ward residents.

Market Umbrella
Grant funds will be used to maintain fresh food access for residents who receive foods stamps, support local farmers, and reconfigure the market to meet safety social distancing regulations.

Mary Queen of Vietnam
Grant funds will be used to collaborate with the VEGGI farmers co-op to deliver 200 food boxes of food over eight weeks to families in New Orleans East, as well as fund translation services and distribution of COVID-19 information to Vietnamese-speaking households.

Nola Tree Project
Grant funds will be used to improve coordination of volunteer deliveries of meal requests received through 311.

Northshore Foodbank
Grant funds will be used to purchase food for vulnerable populations in the Northshore parishes.

Our Daily Bread
Grant funds will support food pantry operations in Tangipahoa Parish.

Recirculating Farms Coalition
Recirculating Farms Coalition grows and delivers very affordable food boxes to those in need. Grant funds will be used to increase the number of fresh food boxes produced.

Second Harvest Food Bank
Grant funds will be used to purchase food for vulnerable populations in the Greater New Orleans Region.

Top Box Foods
Since March 24th, Top Box Foods has delivered 7,000 boxes of food to 4,000 low income households. Grant funds will be used to enhance food deliveries.

Transgender Law Center
Grant funds will be used to support food and other needs of the Transgender community in our region.

Trinity Community Center
Grant funds will support the food pantry at Trinity Community Center.

United Saints
Grant funds will be used to support three months of meal deliveries to seniors and vulnerable families in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans.

Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana
Grant funds will support the needs of seniors and veterans living at Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana residential facilities.

Zion Travelers
Zion Travelers is located in Plaquemines Parish and is increasing access to fresh foods for residents living in remote areas. Grant funds will be used to supplement existing efforts with fresh fruits, vegetables and meat in the parish.

Donations can be made to the Disaster Response and Restoration Fund by visiting www.gnof.org.