Our 2024 grants went to the following Change-makers PROMOTING CLIMATE-FRIENDLY FOODS.

AfriThrive Inc is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating economic opportunities for underserved African immigrant communities through building a sustainable and culturally appropriate local food system in the Greater Washington, DC area. Founded in 2019 by Dr. Truphena Choti, the organization runs a two-acre farm and supports community gardens in Montgomery County. Their community gardening program brings together a network of immigrant families to cultivate culturally appropriate varieties of African indigenous vegetables on their farm. Through significant community support, it has continued to expand to meet the growing food needs in the community.

AfriThrive will use the funding from Eat the Change Impact to expand its farming operations in their 2-acre cultural farm in Poolesville, Maryland to grow and distribute more healthy, culturally appropriate produce

Black Veg Society's mission is to educate predominantly Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, on the benefits of holistic living, the plant-based diet, and veganism while building a community centered around healthy, accessible, and sustainable food with a focus on compassionate lifestyle choices. Thanks to this grant, we could support additional vegan festivals such as The Children's Veg Fest, effectively coordinate Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month, enhance the Naijha Speaks podcast, and grow our YouTube channel by welcoming new mentees to assist in crafting resources and social media content.

Our network of farms and gardens increase nutritious food access East of the Anacostia River and provide regular educational workshops on nutrition, wellness and environmental education. Our seven urban farms grow and distribute organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs to families in a community with only one full-service grocery store serving over 80,000 residents.

The farms supply our Food and Farm Fridays food distribution, which provides free fresh produce to low-income residents. Every year we harvest approximately 3,000 pounds of produce to supply several hundred community members weekly from June through November each year.

https://buildingbridgesdc.org/building-bridges-farm/

The Charles Koiner Conservancy for Urban Farming (d/b/a CKC Farming) is a nonprofit land trust dedicated to protecting and sustaining urban farms that inspire the next generation of food-system innovators. CKC Farming emerged out of a need to preserve a historic farm in downtown Silver Spring, MD - Koiner Farm. Today, CKC Farming continues to run Koiner Farm, while also working to launch a second urban farm at Loiederman Middle School in Wheaton, MD. By fostering a community-led approach to land stewardship and food production, CKC Farming provides opportunities for people to engage with their food and land in ways that improve learning outcomes, health indicators and community stability. Koiner Farms offers field trips and internships for students, volunteerships and workshops for neighbors, a weekly on-farm market featuring local bands and artisans, and community-building partnerships with local businesses that support composting, healthy living, and donations to food banks. According to Kate Medina, CKC's Executive Director, “we are grateful to be an ETC changemaker working with other changemakers around the country to connect people to their land, their food and each other.”

Common Good City Farm is a place where community members can source fresh food, see sustainable urban agriculture in action, and gain exposure to concepts and skills to lead healthy lives. We actively engage with all members of our diverse community and create opportunities for connections on our farm, while emphasizing intensive vegetable production modeling best practices in sustainable urban agriculture. Our mission is to sustain and support a more equitable community through growing, learning, cooking, and sharing fresh food together. Our purpose is to work with our neighbors in nurturing a sustainable community space grounded in food justice, education, and connection. 

Funds from Eat the Change will support our weekly pay-what-you-can market as well as our educational programming for adults and youth. 

Community FarmShare works to create a thriving, equitable, connected food system that produces food, health and well-being for people who have the least access to healthy fresh produce options, while renewing and protecting the planet by supporting local small-scale fruit and vegetable farmers. Our key programs focus on Food Is Medicine - linking healthy, sustainable diets to healthcare, and Farm to School programs - supporting healthy children and families.

The ETC grant will be used to launch our "True Cost Of Food" program which has the mission to educate people about the harmful effects of the industrial food system (1. environmental/climate impact, 2. health consequences, 3. community/social impacts)... and how hyper local regenerative farms positively impact people and planet.

Crossroads Community Food Network is building a healthier and more inclusive food system in the Takoma/Langley Crossroads, a vibrant immigrant community outside Washington, DC. At the heart of this network of food growers, makers, and consumers is Crossroads Farmers Market, where SNAP/WIC matching dollars make healthy food affordable for all, and at the same time help support local farmers and vendors—many of whom are immigrants themselves. Crossroads also provides bilingual business support for historically excluded food entrepreneurs, an affordable commercial kitchen geared toward helping them succeed, and community-based healthy eating education.

Eat the Change Impact’s Changemaker grant is supporting Crossroads’ innovative Fresh Checks program, a crucial resource for food-insecure families since 2007. As the first farmers market in Maryland to accept SNAP, WIC, and other federal nutrition benefits, and the first nationwide to introduce a "double dollar" program, Crossroads has pioneered a choice-based model for food access. By connecting low-wealth shoppers directly with local farmers, they're putting the power back in the hands of the community, fostering a more equitable and sustainable food system.

DC Greens advances health equity by building a just and resilient food system. Our vision is a capital city in which health equity is a central value, healthy food is a human right, and all residents have the resources to shape and control policies and programs for their own communities.  

Founded in 2009, DC Greens, works to change the D.C. food system from the root. Eat The Change supports The Well at Oxon Run, DC Greens’ one-acre educational farm and wellness space in Southeast D.C. Through this partnership, we aim to build the food system we desire and deserve.

IMPACT Silver Spring is committed to bringing about a more racially just and economically equitable Montgomery County by working for change at the individual, neighborhood, and systems levels. Their community gardening initiative and culinary classes are neighborhood-level programs developed in response to resident-identified needs and interests. With support from Eat the Change, IMPACT will plan a collaboration between the culinary classes and community garden volunteers where environmentally friendly food workshops will be held on-site at Serenity Community Garden in Glenmont, Maryland.

Plant Futures is dedicated to equipping students to become the next generation of ethical leaders, systems thinkers, and effective advocates for a plant-centric future for our planet, people, and animals. 

Our transformative impact is facilitated through a multifaceted approach, which includes our pioneering curricula, challenge lab program, events, and global chapter network of students united by their dedication to a sustainable, plant-centered future.

Our Student Chapter network is rapidly expanding, with 55+ Universities across the U.S. and five countries.

With support from the ETC grant, we will be expanding professional, educational, and networking opportunities for students in the D.C. area. 

DC Greens advances health equity by building a just and resilient food system. Our vision is a capital city in which health equity is a central value, healthy food is a human right, and all residents have the resources to shape and control policies and programs for their own communities.  

Founded in 2009, DC Greens, works to change the D.C. food system from the root. Eat The Change supports The Well at Oxon Run, DC Greens’ one-acre educational farm and wellness space in Southeast D.C. Through this partnership, we aim to build the food system we desire and deserve.

IMPACT Silver Spring is committed to bringing about a more racially just and economically equitable Montgomery County by working for change at the individual, neighborhood, and systems levels. Their community gardening initiative and culinary classes are neighborhood-level programs developed in response to resident-identified needs and interests. With support from Eat the Change, IMPACT will plan a collaboration between the culinary classes and community garden volunteers where environmentally friendly food workshops will be held on-site at Serenity Community Garden in Glenmont, Maryland.