Connection, Health & Equity Through Food (CHEF)

Introduction

Under the banner of Hannaford's "Eat Well. Be Well. - A Path to Better Health" initiative, the CHEF (Connection, Health & Equity through Food) Grant Program will fund organizations and projects supporting the needs of diverse older adults, including improving equitable access to food, and increasing opportunities for socialization.

Grants will allow awardees to make investments in programmatic infrastructure, sustainably expand current programming and/or launch innovative, new programming that supports the food and social connection needs of older people. Priority will be given to projects and programs that serve diverse older people, veterans, and older people living with disabilities. Funds can also be used to help find solutions to the root causes of food insecurity and social isolation, including but not limited to poverty, transportation, rurality, and language barriers.

The CHEF program is administered by the Maine Council on Aging. We are deeply grateful to Hannaford Supermarkets for their generous financial support for this grant program.

Purpose

The focus of this grant program is to increase older adults' equitable access to healthy food and social connection, with a particular focus on rural communities and underserved and marginalized older people including:

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)
LGBTQ+- (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer or Questioning)
Women
Veterans
People Living with Disabilities
People Living in Rural Communities

The grant is intended to support innovative and new programming as well as additions to current programs that support older people in your community. We will be looking for programs that intentionally support the oldest people among us, programs that are intentionally inclusive of diverse older people, and programs that specifically accommodate people with disabilities. The funding can be used for equipment, staff training, food to enhance another program, farming, social programs, transportation, technology and other ideas that relate to the specific focus of food insecurity and social connection. The grant activities must be for a sustaining/sustainable purpose for either the participants or the program.

We are not able to fund the following:

Food costs (unless for a class or program)
General operating costs
Funding toward a capital request
Vehicles
Fuel for vehicles
Driver reimbursement
Staff whose role is not capacity-building for the program
Indirect costs

Funding Amount

The minimum amount that can be requested is $500. Although no maximum has been set, we would anticipate that most grants would be in the $2,000 - $10,000 range.

Eligibility for Funding

The grant-funded activity must primarily serve older people. Thus, if your program serves people of all ages, you should provide data on the number of older people served, and this number must be 50.1% of the overall population served, or the grant-funded activity should focus primarily on the older adults currently being served.

Grants will only be made to applicants serving older people in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Eastern Massachusetts, and Upstate New York. Applicants must serve people who may access a Hannaford Supermarket to purchase food. The organization itself does not have to be located in a community with a Hannaford store. As an example, any statewide organization in one of these states would qualify. Regional organizations that serve at least one community with a Hannaford Supermarket qualify, even if the other communities do not. We recognize that people in some rural areas may drive a substantial distance for groceries, so we will be liberal in interpreting this restriction.

Eligible Organizations:

Public and non-profit organizations
Municipalities
Faith Groups
Tribal Governments
Educational Institutions
Note: If you do not have an IRS nonprofit or 501(c)3 designation, please find a fiscal sponsor for your program/idea. We may be able to help you make a connection, please contact us.

Timing

This final grant period will be open from Wednesday, May 8 until Sunday, June 30, 2024. We anticipate that all organizations will be notified of their grant status by Friday, August 23, 2024.

Grant funding is awarded through a competitive application process. Final decisions will be based on the merits of the application as determined by scores that prioritize populations, sustainability, and impact.

It is expected that funding should be expended within one year of receipt. A written or oral report of your success or opportunities for improvement will be expected at the end of the funding period.

These are one-time grants, intended to provide financial support to programs that can sustainably increase access to healthy food and social connection for older adults. While organizations may apply for more than one grant, it is expected that each subsequent application will be for a distinctly different program/project.

Grant Award Expectations

If a grant is awarded, the Maine Council on Aging will request the following:

The organization will agree to have appropriate staff attend a training session on ageism.
The organization will consider sharing program information to educate other organizations.
The organization will provide a brief written report at the end of the grant period.

Application Logistics

We have tried to make the application form easy to use but you should be aware of these important notes:

This is a progressive form. You must finish one page completely before you move on to the next. There is no "save" feature.

If you would like to review the application questions before beginning your application, please use the 'Printable Form" button in the top right of the screen. You can review or print the form from that screen.

We ask you to please use the term "older people," " elder/s" or "older person" to describe older people - do not use terms like "senior" or "elderly." These terms evoke negative stereotypes which can lead to othering older adults, bias against older adults, and poor outcomes for older adults.

Contact

Please contact CHEF Grants Manager, Laurie Gilman, at lgilman@mainecouncilonaging.org if you need assistance or have questions about this grant application.

Does your organization serve people who may access Hannaford Supermarket to purchase food?

To be clear, your organization does not have to be located in a community with a Hannaford store; your organization must serve older people who might use Hannaford as a grocery store option. We understand that people in rural areas may need to drive a substantial distance for groceries.

Yes