Community Food Grant Program Updates – 360 Eats & The Kind Mouse
By Sarah Wiemert, Healthy St. Petersburg, Health Planner II
This month, the inaugural cohort of Community Food Grant Program (CFGP) recipients celebrate eight months of action for food security in St. Pete! As the projects approach the final quarter of their terms, Healthy St. Pete is highlighting the great work our community organizations have accomplished with the help of the CFGP funding. Keep reading for an update on two of our funded partner organizations and keep an eye out for monthly CFGP updates!
360 Eats | $50,000
CommUnity Kitchen: Enhancing Food Security in Healthy Food Priority Areas
Nutritious prepared meals utilizing upcycled ingredients offered free in a food truck model at the James B. Sanderlin Family Center and throughout South St. Petersburg.
From January to May, 360 eats has successfully rescued 83,260 pounds of food from local community partners that was turned into 4,064 nutritious, chef-prepared meals for our community! Their paid internship program has produced professionally trains chefs and have they have filled 198 volunteer spots to assist with their daily operations. 360 Eats intentionally utilizes data collected on-site to adapt and refine their meal program to better meet the needs of the community. In practice, this looks like updated menu offerings and more convenient hours of operation. After the first quarter of operations under the grant, 87% of their surveyed recipients stated that they worried less about food after receiving a meal service. New locations and improved marketing strategies for their catering operations has ensured the long-term sustainability of their free meal program in St. Pete.
To find out more about 360 Eats, volunteer, or donate, visit 360eats.org
The Kind Mouse | $10,000
Alleviating Childhood Hunger
Filling the gap for children ages 0-18 by delivering weekend meals and infant food directly to schools and partner agencies.
The Kind Mouse is the first CFGP recipient to complete their project term. From January to May, The Kind Mouse delivered 1,435 weekend snack packs to kids all over St. Pete. This organization excels at responding to the needs of their community partners. In all, The Kind Mouse works with over 30 agencies to deliver nutritionally balanced snack packs to kids in the city. They also engage student volunteers to pack deliveries and host food drives and even offer a media internship program for students. The Kind Mouse also works with their community partners at Head Start to ensure that families of children under 5 years old receive the supplemental nutrition needed to raise healthy, happy, children.
To learn more about The Kind Mouse, volunteer, or donate visit thekindmouse.org.
