Rapid Response FRESH Grants
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Fresh Start Foundation has infused the fresh produce industry with 25 $1,000 Rapid Response FRESH Grants to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for children and families in need, while also creating opportunities for foodservice distributors experiencing lost markets due to the restaurant, hospitality, and school shutdowns.
Congratulations to the 25 COVID-19 Rapid Response FRESH Grants recipients and the organizations and schools receiving their fresh produce donations:
| Grant recipient | Organization/school district receiving fresh produce donation |
| AeroFarms, Newark, NJ | Table to Table |
| Aloha Produce Foodservices, Bend, OR | The Giving Plate, The Shephard’s House Ministries, Council on Aging, and Co Veterans |
| AM Fresh North America Inc., Glassboro, NJ | Glassboro Food Bank |
| Ark Foods Group, Inc., Brooklyn, NY
|
City Harvest |
| Bonanza Produce Company, Sparks, NV | Reno Sparks Gospel Mission |
| Brothers Produce of Dallas, Inc | Range Elementary (Mesquite, TX) |
| DNO Produce, Columbus, OH | Communities in Schools, Southwest City Schools, Grove City, OH |
| Freshway Produce, Inc., Atlanta, GA | Feeding South Florida |
| Indianhead Foodservice, Eau Claire, WI | Chippewa Falls Area School District |
| J&J Produce Company, Inc., Hattiesburg, MS | Lamar County School District, Petal School District, Forrest School District, Hattiesburg Public School District |
| J.H. Honeycutt & Sons Inc., Chadbourn, NC | Food Bank Central & Eastern North Carolina |
| Kimball & Thompson Produce Co., Inc, Lowell, AR | Arkansas Foodbank |
| Lancaster Foods, Jessup, MD | ALIVE! Food Program (Alexandria VA) |
| Limehouse Produce, North Charleston, SC | Lowcountry Food Bank |
| Miller Farms, Clinton, MD | Capital Area Food Bank (Washington, DC) |
| Potato Specialty Co, Inc, Lubbock, TX | Lubbock Impact |
| Preferred Produce, Detroit, MI | Motor City Mitten Mission |
| Pure Flavor, Leamington, Ontario | Peach County Schools |
| Sirna & Sons Produce, Ravenna, OH | Center of Hope |
| Southern Colorado Farms, Center, CO | Care and Share Food Banks |
| Specialty Produce, Inc, San Diego, CA | San Diego Food Bank |
| Tropical Sourcing LLC, Livingston, NJ | Morris County Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce |
| Willie Itule Produce, Phoenix, AZ | St. Mary’s Food Bank |
| Worden Farm, Punta Gorda, FL | All Faiths Food Bank, Boys and Girls Club Sarasota County and Charlotte County |
| Zafar Produce Inc, New Windsor, NY | Food Bank of the Hudson Valley |
Our goal is to break down the barriers that impact access to fresh produce, and bring community members and the supply chain together during this extraordinary time.“These are two pressing needs facing our country today that are interconnected,” said United Fresh Start Foundation Chair Lisa McNeece, Vice President, Foodservice and Industrial Sales, Grimmway Enterprises, Inc. “Kids are out of school and families are out of work. We need to make sure they get fresh produce through remote feeding sites or community programs. And, at the same time, our foodservice distributors have been devastated by the immediate shutdown of their markets. This is an attempt to inspire our greater industry to recognize both needs and do what we can to help.”
This program is funded through the generosity of those individuals who have agreed to donate their prepaid registration fees for the United Fresh 2020 Convention in San Diego to the Foundation. Thank you for inspiring us to make this program possible.
To everyone else – were you planning to attend? Or just want to help? Please consider making a donation directly to our Foundation now, and we’ll keep serving kids everywhere as best we can. You can make your donation using the button below. Thank you for your support!
For more information, contact Mollie Van Lieu, Senior Director of Nutrition Policy, at 202-303-3403.