Bank of America Awards Augusta Locally Grown $50K Grant
Augusta Locally Grown has been named a Bank of America 2024 Neighborhood Champion. As a Neighborhood Champion, Augusta Locally Grown will receive a $50,000 grant over two years, access to leadership development experiences for the organization’s executive director, technical coaching, and connections with a national family of nonprofit leaders.
The nonprofit addresses food insecurity in the Augusta area by helping people connect with nutrition education and offering access to healthy food. It accomplishes this work by supporting small farms and gardeners in the area to make their all-natural, locally grown, and sustainably raised fresh foods available to consumers.
Funds from the Neighborhood Champions award grant will allow the organization to create a new Agricultural Innovation and Education Center. This center will support education enrichment programs and enhance the organization’s services for area agriculturists.
“The Neighborhood Champions award will provide catalytic funds to our efforts connecting area farmers within our community,” said Rebecca van Loenen, executive director of Augusta Locally Grown, in an interview with Augusta Good News. “In the past year, we have served over 100 farmers and have had more than 10,000 attend our education classes. These funds are vital for us to continue to serve our community and scale our operations.”
“Providing these high-impact nonprofits with flexible funding and leadership training helps them address critical needs and create meaningful, lasting change in our communities,” said Ora Parish, president, Bank of America Augusta-Aiken. “Countless individuals, families, and neighborhoods have felt the profound impact that these nonprofits have had in Augusta-Aiken over the past five years.”
According to a news release, Bank of America’s Neighborhood Champions program supports high-impact nonprofit organizations in approximately 40 communities nationwide. Since 2019, it has invested over $9 million into more than 200 nonprofits through its Neighborhood Champions initiative.
Learn more about Augusta Locally Grown online.
