An 18.6 million dollar grant from the CA Department of Food and Agriculture aims to provide free refrigerators to low-income and low-access areas to increase access to healthy foods.
The High Sierra Foundation and Sierra Small business council are partnering on the program, the Sierra Healthy Refrigeration Program to provide no-cost refrigerators to 16 counties, including Lassen, Plumas, and Sierra county, that will also be stocked with California-grown fresh produce, nuts, dairy, meat, eggs, and other minimally processed foods. These units will also be energy efficient to complement the state’s climate initiative to reduce greenhouse gasses. Requests for applications for grants will open next month.
The funding will be eligible to corner stores, small grocery stores, and small independently owned businesses, including small farm operations and farm stands, food donation programs, cities, counties, and tribal governments that provide technical assistance to these small programs and businesses.
You can visit SierraFridgeGrant.org for more information on the grant funding.
