Go Fresh Emergency Food Distribution Awarded Grant

The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts announced new grants totaling $725,000 to 26 local nonprofits through the COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley, targeting employment assistance, food insecurity, homelessness and foreclosure prevention, and other immediate needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Go Fresh Emergency Food Distribution program received a $50,000 grant to continue its Emergency Food Distribution Program which is delivering free fresh produce boxes to older adults and families at housing, senior center, daycare and healthcare sites in Springfield.  The program has been delivering boxes of fresh produce twice a month to 130 older adults and families in Springfield with 1,442 boxes of fresh produce delivered to date. Additional funders for the program are Trinity Health Transforming Communities Initiative, Tufts Health Plan Foundation, Beveridge Family Foundation, Health New England, Beacon Communities, Baystate Health and BMCHealthnet. 

The program is a collaboration with Wellspring Cooperative which enabled us to quickly and safely get this program up and running by providing a location to store and sort the produce.  Additional community partners include Mass Senior Action Springfield Chapter, Baystate Geriatrics House Calls Program, City of Springfield Department of Elder Affairs, the Springfield Healthy Homes Asthma program, Springfield Housing Authority, Beacon Communities, Caring Health Center, and Square One. We are recruiting other healthcare and agency partners to assist in deliveries.  For more information on partnerships with the program, please contact Samantha Hamilton, Live Well Springfield Manager.