Contributed by VERNON ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
With technical and writing assistance from Vernon Economic Development Association, Community Hunger Solutions recently obtained $9,000 in funding through the Great Rivers United Way Venture Grant program.
The project, located in the Food Enterprise Center in Viroqua, provides the coordination for generous local farmers to share their unsold produce with those in need. Throughout the growing season, CHS organizes weekly trips to area farms to harvest healthy, leftover produce using the labor of volunteers and paid workers with disabilities. This food is then delivered to 13 meal sites that serve about 400 families per week in Vernon, La Crosse, Crawford and Monroe counties.
Community Hunger Solutions establishes the connection among farmers, food pantries, food-related resources like the Food Enterprise Center (location for staging, storage, cooler space and docks for loading trucks) and the Vernon County Extension Program (providing nutritional education to food pantries), as well as disability employment organizations including Everybody Works!, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Vernon County Human Services, Riverfront and VARC. This project facilitates increased consumption of healthy food by low-income, underserved populations who need it most and results in significant hunger relief.
CHS also will host a half-day nutrition educational workshop later this year to assist food pantry personnel in promoting healthy eating.
Great Rivers United Way is committed to creating a significant impact in their five-county service region, with a mission to unite people and resources to improve lives and strengthen communities. The award for CHS through the Venture Grant program helps enhance the quality of life for low- and middle-income wage earners by providing access to healthy and nutritious food choices.
For more information about Community Hunger Solutions or to volunteer time to help with the project, contact Daniel Chotzen at dchotzen@mwt.net and Gary Thompson at gatwwtc@hotmail.com.