The Sands Family Foundation Generation 3 Philanthropy Project (G3PP) recently awarded a multi-year grant to Foodlink to support its Curbside Market – a mobile farmers market that visits underserved communities across the Rochester region.
The grant supports key staffing needs for the market and will allow for the addition of a new vehicle to the Curbside Market fleet.
“The Sands Family Foundation has shown repeatedly that it truly cares about the health of our region, particularly in low-income communities where diet-related illnesses are most prevalent,” said Julia Tedesco, President & CEO of Foodlink. “The Curbside Market continues to evolve to meet the needs of Rochester-area residents seeking fresh, affordable foods – and will be critical to rebuilding community health as our area recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
SCHEDULE: The Curbside Market’s August schedule
Launched in 2013, the Curbside Market, which primarily sells fresh fruits and vegetables, strives to make the healthy choice the easy choice for thousands of customers in the Rochester region. Although it began with one vehicle and seasonal routes in the City of Rochester, the market now operates year-round with multiple routes in Rochester, Monroe County, and five other counties in Foodlink’s service area.
“As our grandfather, Marvin, would say, ‘While we can’t save the world, we can make a difference in our community,’” said G3PP Co-Chair Lauren Sands.
Customers who use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can purchase twice as much produce through the Double Up Food Bucks incentive program. Later this year, Foodlink hopes to diversify its inventory once it is approved to sell items for another federal nutrition program, Women, Infants & Children (WIC).
This is the second grant that Sands Family Foundation G3PP has awarded to Foodlink’s Curbside Market. A prior grant in 2018-19 allowed the market to add critical staff and expand its operating hours to evenings and weekends.
“Our family is proud to support Foodlink’s efforts to meet our community’s need for fresh, affordable foods with its Curbside Market,” said G3PP Co-Chair Ashly Sands-O’Winter.
Due to COVID-19, the Curbside Market temporarily had to suspend its operations in mid-March. The market reopened with a limited schedule in July, after extensive planning to ensure the safety of its customers and staff.
“We look forward to learning with our partners and customers about how to continue to best serve them – and will begin to ramp up our schedule when it is safe and appropriate to do so,” Tedesco said.
To learn more about how to support Foodlink and the Curbside Market, and view its current schedule, visit FoodlinkNY.org.
