Last week, supporters of LifeCity and its Regional Sustainability Committee, of the Love Your City Awards Gala donated 150 Recirculating Farms’ Growing Local garden bags to Dryades YMCA‘s Healthy Families project. The donation is part of an ongoing effort by Recirculating Farms, to increasing equity in local, healthy food production and distribution.
Every year, LifeCity and the Regional Sustainability Committee hosts a new edition of the Love Your City Awards Gala. At the event, New Orleans’ business and community leaders participate in a fun and glamorous academy awards-like evening honoring “winners” in community service categories like “water management” and “food” and enjoying good food and live entertainment. Over the last eight years, over 122 awards have been presented for environmental and social impact achievements and to recognize and lift up change-makers to take on the next steps in their sustainability missions. The 2020 year was unlike any other, so the Awards Ceremony was just as unique. This year, the Love Your City Awards platform supported local musicians, artists, restaurants, and families. It was the same amazing event, with the added benefit of supporting our local community. One of the outcomes of the event was raising funds to donate 500 bags of fresh local food, coordinated by Recirculating Farms. The Dryades YMCA is the second of these deliveries.
Throughout the pandemic, Dryades YMCA mobilized a team that has delivered over 43,000 meals to the homes of families unable to get to other food distribution sites. Those enrolled in the Y’s Mobile Youth Food Pantry have received evening and weekend meals throughout the crisis. With additional funding and partners, the Y will continue in this anti-hunger fight.
“For more than 115 years, the Dryades YMCA has supported families in the New Orleans area, and while COVID-19 may have changed the landscape, it didn’t change our mission,” says Alicia Oliver, Missions Advancement Officer. “We remain committed to ensuring our community has ongoing access to nutritious food, no matter what.”
Recirculating Farms sells a low cost, locally sourced garden grocery bag for weekly delivery through Top Box Foods Louisiana, to increase availability of affordable, accessible fresh food in the community. The bag is also part of Market Match, a program through Market Umbrella, which means for people who use SNAP and EBT, the cost is half price.
The groups issued a joint press release – read more here!