Financing Healthy Food Options

Nourish Your Community with Healthy Foods

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OFN invites CDFIs to participate in the Community Development Financial Institution Fund's (CDFI Fund) Capacity Building Initiative for Financing Healthy Food Options track. The goal of this track, provided by OFN, is to bring greater access to healthy foods in low-income communities.

“CDFIs are strategically poised to have a powerful role in the Healthy Food Financing Initiative and improve access to healthy food in distressed communities across the country,” said CDFI Fund Director Donna J. Gambrell.

Too many Americans live in food deserts with limited or no access to healthy foods. As a result, their communities have increased rates of obesity, diabetes, and other public health challenges.

Through June 2012, OFN will offer free, two-day workshops across the U.S. led by a roster of expert instructors who will conduct in-depth training across the healthy food continuum, including food production, food retail, and mid-tier food chain enterprises.

In addition to these workshops, OFN will host free technical assistance webinars focused on financing healthy food options. Learn more and register for these webinars now.

By participating in the CDFI Fund's Capacity Building Initiative for Financing Healthy Food Options track, CDFIs will learn innovative ways to design, launch, and finance healthy food initiatives in low access areas in urban, rural, and Native communities. Certified and emerging CDFIs can take advantage of these valuable training workshops, and upon completion of the workshop training may also apply for individual technical assistance. Free healthy food financing resources will be made available to all CDFIs and their community partners online.

For the most up-to-date information, including the schedule of national workshops, registration, and free resources, visit the CDFI Fund's Capacity Building Initiative web page.