United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) is taking steps to unite communities by funding programs to improve food systems. The charitable arm of the natural foods wholesaler, the UNFI Foundation, is granting more than $1 million in grants to organizations in more than 40 areas across North America.
The monies will be used to boost equitable food access in vulnerable communities. In 2022, the UNFI Foundation has awarded grants to groups such as the African Alliance of Rhode Island in Providence, R.I., Berkeley Food Network in Berkeley, Calif., Chef Ann Foundation in Boulder, Colo., Cooking with Kids in Santa Fe, N.M., Daily Table in Dorchester, Mass., Pilot Light in Chicago, Second Chance Foods in Carmel, N.Y., and the Sustainable Food Center, Inc. in Austin, Texas, along with nearly three dozen other organizations.
“At UNFI, we know our work isn’t done once a product leaves our distribution center. That’s why we are thrilled to support this year’s grantees, which are pursuing a wide range of innovative and impactful ideas to support food equity and access in their local communities across more than 20 U.S. states and into Canada,” said Alisa Real, the Foundation’s executive director.
According to the UNFI Foundation, its nonprofit beneficiaries have tended to more than 6,000 acres of organic farmland and delivered $7 million worth of fresh food to at-risk community members. In addition. affiliated programs have helped launch 31 school gardens and taught more than 200,000 children around the country about healthy eating.
Providence, R.I.-based UNFI delivers a wide variety of products to customer locations throughout North America, including natural product superstores, independent retailers, conventional supermarket chains, e-commerce retailers and foodservice customers. The largest publicly traded grocery distributor in America, the company is No. 49 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer's 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.