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Savannah Awarded $125,000 Grant for Food Access Improvement

People collaborating in a community garden in Savannah

News Summary

Savannah has been awarded a $125,000 grant to enhance nutrition and food access in underserved communities, announced during the AAMA National Conference. The funding, from the African American Mayors Association and American Beverage Foundation, will support initiatives such as improving nutrition education and accessibility to healthy foods. Savannah joins six other cities in this initiative, which aims to tackle food insecurity through innovative public health strategies.

Savannah has been awarded a $125,000 grant to improve nutrition and food access in underserved communities, announced at the AAMA National Conference in Washington, D.C.

The grant, provided by the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) in partnership with the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America (ABFHA), aims to:

Promote access to healthy foods
Improve nutrition education
Address food affordability

Savannah is among seven cities selected nationwide in a competitive process, designed to recognize innovative public health strategies focusing on equity. The total grants awarded this year amounted to $600,000.

Other cities receiving grants include:

New Orleans: $125,000
Atlanta: $175,000
Dumfries, VA: $75,000
Maywood, IL: $75,000
Earle, AR: $12,500
Rankin, PA: $12,500

The funding will allow Savannah to partner with Healthy Savannah to enhance educational programs and initiatives targeting food systems priorities established by the Savannah-Chatham Food Policy Council (SCFPC). Mayor Van R. Johnson, II stressed the importance of ensuring all young people have access to healthy food.

The initiatives will focus on tackling the root causes of food insecurity, particularly through urban agriculture and improved resource access for local farmers.

Kevin Keane, president and CEO of the ABFHA, reaffirmed support for mayors addressing community health challenges through sustainable programs with measurable outcomes.

Since the partnership’s inception in 2022, a total of 16 cities and towns have collectively received over $2 million in funding for nutrition and food access initiatives.