Some nonprofits working to address housing and food insecurity statewide are getting a boost.
The ChristianaCare Community Investment Fund is giving $1.1 million to 11 organizations that provide resources like food and housing to those who need it most.
“Our Health Investment Fund is really focused around insuring that we are doing our part in supporting the full health and full needs of our community members,” said Erin Booker - the vice president of Behavioral Health and Social Care Integration at ChristianaCare.
She explains why they are targeting food and housing, “We focused in on food and housing because those needs have risen to the top - especially through COVID - they’ve been really impacted. So we’ve seen an increase in food insecurity in our tiniest communities.”
Booker notes 12.6% of Delaware households are food insecure. - and their effort is to address that in multiple ways.
"We really wanted to make sure that we were partnering in a way that was actually bringing these needs into the community," said Booker. So you see programs that are not just providing food, but they’re teaching people how to meal prep. So it’s important that we’re doing the whole spectrum and so you see that. You see all different kinds of assets; you see after-school and summer programs that are ensuring that kids have food.”
Funding recipients include the Milton Community Food Pantry, Wilmington’s West End Neighborhood House and Bright Spot Farm - an urban farm in New Castle teaching young people to prepare healthy meals.
Money is also going to Children and Families First, which provides access to nutritious food year-round for children in Kent and Sussex Counties, and Communities In Schools of Delaware, which helps 500 families statewide stay healthy, nourished and housed
