OMAHA, Neb., May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The ConAgra Foods Foundation announced today that it has awarded nearly $500,000 through its Community Impact Grants program to support the fight to end child hunger in 10 states. This is the third year the ConAgra Foods Foundation has awarded Community Impact Grants to local nonprofits with the goal of finding innovative approaches to addressing child hunger.

After a highly competitive two-step process with more than 116 applicants, 13 organizations were selected to receive grants to support programs such as:

• Nutrition education programs that underscore cultural sensitivity
• Screening for child hunger in clinical settings
• Support for school districts to increase purchases of locally grown foods
• Comprehensive marketing and outreach strategies to increase participation in the Summer Food Service Program.

“We are dedicated to ending child hunger and by partnering with these 13 organizations, whose programs have a direct impact on the lives of the more than 16 million children in the U.S. facing food insecurity, we’re able to support this important cause,” said Kori Reed, Vice President, ConAgra Foods Foundation and Cause. “With more than one in five American children at risk of hunger, we recognize the need to seek out and invest in the most promising practices in child hunger relief and nutrition education.”

Since 2009, the ConAgra Foods Foundation’s Community Impact Grants program has invested approximately $1.4 million in 31 nonprofit organizations across the country which brings innovative solutions to fight child hunger in the communities they serve. Organizations receiving support this year, ranging from $20,000 to $75,000 include:

• Adelante Mujares (Forest Grove, Ore.)
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago (Chicago, Ill.)
• Children’s Alliance (Seattle, Wash.)
• Down East Partnership for Children (Rocky Mount, N.C.)
• Food Share of Lincoln County (Newport, Ore.)
• Food System Economic Partnership (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
• Georgia Food Bank Association (Atlanta, Ga.)
• Knowledge Quest (Memphis, Tenn.)
• Oregon Food Bank (Portland, Ore.)
• Public Health Institute (Oakland, Calif.)
• Pulaski County Council for Communities, Children, and Youth (Little Rock, Ark.)
• Seven Generations Ahead (Oak Park, Ill.)
• Socrates Scholarship Opportunity Fund (Calabasas, Calif.)

The focus of the program was narrowed this year to reach those nonprofit organizations working in states with both a ConAgra Foods presence and a rate of child food insecurity of 25% or greater, as determined by Feeding America’s study Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity Estimates, released in August, 2011. The program also emphasized serving those child populations disproportionately affected by child hunger including, but not limited to: African American, Hispanic and Native American.

Organizations interested in being considered for Community Impact Grants during the 2013 calendar year can complete a Letter of Interest beginning in January. For more information, visit www.conagrafoodsfoundation.org.

About ConAgra Foods Foundation

The ConAgra Foods Foundation, through its Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow platform, is dedicated to raising awareness of the 16 million children in America who are at risk of hunger and don’t have enough food to live active, healthful lives. It aggressively pursues sustainable solutions in the fight against child hunger. And the Foundation is committed to building a community of people who are passionate about ensuring that all kids have access to the food and facts they need to eat nutritiously while living balanced lifestyles and succeeding in school and life. ConAgra Foods Foundation invests in national and local partnerships with high-impact, not-for-profit organizations, such as Feeding America, that take an innovative approach to addressing needs in the core areas of hunger and nutrition education. For more information, please visit www.conagrafoodsfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation. The ConAgra Foods Foundation is funded solely by ConAgra Foods (NYSE: CAG).

SOURCE ConAgra Foods