Posted on February 15, 2013

Laurie Tisch Illumination Fund Launches $15 Million Healthy Foods Initiative

The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund has announced the launch of a five-year, $15 million initiative to improve access to healthy foods for people in low-income neighborhoods.

The Healthy Food & Community Change initiative will support novel strategies to boost access to and the availability, affordability, and knowledge of healthy foods while promoting healthy choices, with a focus on programs in high-need neighborhoods. The initiative will be spearheaded by the newly created Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy at Teachers College, Columbia University, and will include partnerships with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, City Harvest, the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation, and Wholesome Wave. Grantees already announced include the NYC Coalition Against Hunger, Wellness in the Schools, and Share Our Strength.

"The issues are complex, and there's no magic bullet," said Illumination Fund president Laurie M. Tisch. "But there are strategies that have demonstrated progress and promise. We believe that the way to move forward is to empower and engage communities, foster collaboration, and provide the tools to implement change. With our new Healthy Food & Community Change initiative, the Illumination Fund aims to inspire healthier communities."