The JFSGNH Food Pantry and Nutritional Health Center was recently awarded $53,000 in grant funding from the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA).  This year’s highly competitive grant solicitation garnered 124 applications totaling nearly $6 million in requests.  JFSGNH was one of just 23 organizations approved to receive part of the $1,125,000 distributed to nonprofit organizations across Connecticut.

“This funding will allow us to vastly expand our Nutritional Health and Wellness Program and provide vital social and human services and much –needed food to hundreds of our community’s most disadvantages, disenfranchised, vulnerable, and at-risk families and children, said Jonathan Garfinkle, JFS’ Executive Director and CEO.   “The ultimate goal is to offer our clients the opportunity to achieve long-term stability and self-sustainability by fostering the economic, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being of the many, many additional individuals and families we will reach through this generous grant.”

According to Feed America, 13.9% of families in Greater New Haven County are currently facing food insecurity.  Funding such as this will help JFSGNH to provide relief to many individuals and families.  Food insecurity refers to a family’s lack of access to adequate food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food insecurity may result in the need  to make impossible  trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing costs or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.

With the current state of the economy, changes in philanthropic focus and dwindling funding options, nonprofit agencies and organizations depend on private, foundation, and governmental grant funding to help enhance services and programs.  Funders such as CHEFA help bridge the gap and enable agencies to provide much needed services to the communities in which they serve.