The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded Foodlink with a nearly $500,000 grant to expand its Curbside Market program that provides access to low-priced, fresh produce to low-income communities throughout the Rochester region.
Foodlink’s program, “Farms to Families: Promoting local foods and healthy futures through mobile markets,” was awarded $481,090 for a three-year period, according to information from the organization. Foodlink applied for a grant with the goal of becoming the nation’s first mobile vendor for the USDA’s Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program, which supports low-income mothers and young children who are found to be at nutritional risk.
As a WIC vendor, the Curbside Market eventually would be able to sell more types of products and reach more young families in need of healthy foods. The grant will be applied to staffing costs associated with the planned expansion and for the purchase of a vehicle capable of handling and displaying more products.
The Curbside Market operates year-round at sites that include health centers, low-income housing facilities, and senior and recreation centers in Rochester and six surrounding counties.
For more information about the Curbside Market and to view its current schedule, visit https://bit.ly/2r72dhW.
