Junior League of Chattanooga announced that it was the recipient of a $10,000 grant from Kashi at the recent Association of Junior Leagues International Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. This award was the top prize for the night and will be applied toward the League’s new community impact initiative, Seeds of Change, which addresses food deserts in the Hamilton County area.
Food deserts are defined as areas where most residents have low or no access to fresh, healthy, affordable food, and they are a problem that affects more than 60,000 Hamilton County residents.
Through a partnership with the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, the YMCA of Greater Chattanooga, and other members of the Hamilton County Food Coalition, the Junior League of Chattanooga will address the issue of food deserts in Hamilton County through advocacy, educational outreach, and the skills, efforts, and enthusiasm of its trained volunteers.
Kashi, the maker of healthy natural foods that has been a generous partner in the fight against childhood obesity and poor nutrition, recognized Leagues with exemplary programs.
As part of its Kashi REAL Project, which aims to eliminate the country’s food deserts where rates of obesity and malnutrition are significantly above the national average, Kashi’s Senior Brand Manager Joe Kramer made grants totaling $50,000 to 18 leagues that demonstrated a commitment to fighting childhood obesity and teaching a healthy lifestyle to kids and their families. Junior League of Chattanooga was the only league to win a $10,000 grant.