From the community Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation Awards Nearly $2.9 Million to 710 Organizations in 2014

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation today announced that it awarded nearly $2.9 million in grants to 710 nonprofit organizations in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire in 2014. Since its inception in 1980, the Foundation has granted close to $133 million in funds throughout the four states.

More than $1.5 million in grants was distributed in 2014 to the Foundation’s childhood obesity prevention initiatives within the region, with funds supporting programs that promote nutrition, healthy eating, and physical activity.(See below for a summary of the Foundation’s 2014 major grant recipients.)

Since 2007, Harvard Pilgrim Foundation has distributed more than $9 million in grants to non-profits working to prevent childhood obesity. In the coming months, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation will provide grants to not-for-profit programs that help get fresh, healthy food to low and moderate income families.

In addition to the $1.5 million in grants, the Foundation also awarded $555,950 to nearly 670 organizations in 256 communities through Harvard Pilgrim’s Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grants program. Elementary School; School garden and food pantry

2014 Maine Grant Recipients

o $100,000 in Maine Local Food Grants:

$15,000 — Cultivating Community (Portland), Garden construction and scholarship

$14,600 — Food AND Medicine (Brewer), Farmers’ market expansion

$11,080 — My Place Teen Center (Westbrook), Cooking equipment for teaching

$10,600 — FARMS (Focus on Agriculture in Rural ME Schools) (Damariscotta), Cooking equipment for teaching

$10,000 — Washington County Food and Fuel Alliance (Machias), Food pantry equipment and education

$8,500 — Oxford Hills Alan Day Community Garden (Norway), Development of a food forest

$8,420 — Pearson’s Town Farm at Saint Joseph’s College (Standish), Garden expansion for college food service and food pantry

$8,345 — University of Maine Cooperative Extension (South Paris), Development of a teaching garden

$5,650 — Kennebec Restorative Community Harvest Program (Augusta), Garden equipment for prison garden

$3,100 — Yarmouth Community Garden (Yarmouth), Garden irrigation equipment

$2,500 — Old Orchard Beach Community Food Pantry (Old Orchard Beach), Cooking program pilot

$2,000 — Somerset Grist Mill Food Hub (Skowhegan), Food education program for children

o $5,000 — Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership (Portland), Honors Dinner

o $5,000 — The Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges (S.