The City of Haverhill Thursday said it has awarded between $10,000 and $36,000 of Fresh Food Grants to a dozen local aid and education groups.
As WHAV reported previously, Haverhill sought applications from food pantries, nonprofit community meal providers and soup kitchens to share in $200,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act money. Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini said the program is aimed at mitigating rising food price increases caused by inflation as well as product shortages since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Awarded grants were Marigold Montessori schools, $36,000; Haverhill YMCA and Salvation Army, $20,000 each; Sarah’s Place Adult Daycare and All Saints Food Pantry, $17,000 each; Open Hearts Ministries, Somebody Cares New England and Community Action, $15,000 each; Leaving the Streets Ministries and Common Ground Ministries, $12,500 each; and Open Hand Pantry and Universalist Unitarian Church of Haverhill, $10,000 each.
Collectively, the groups requested more than twice the amount of money that was available.
The city’s program was managed by ARPA Manager Kathleen Lambert and members of the Community Advisory Board evaluated applications. They were Sharon Sullivan, Annie Vlack, Sheila Callahan, William LaPierre, Marlene Grant, Hartell Johnson, Nomsa Ncube, Juliet Sithole-Berk and Lourdes Lopez.