Bounty & Soul receives critical grant funding amid rising needs
Local nonprofit organization experiencing drastic increase in free food market participation
The Valley Echo
February 7, 2023
The Produce to the People markets, hosted weekly by Bounty & Soul, served more than 33,000 households in 2022. The nonprofit organization, which provides fresh whole foods to people facing food insecurity, received critical funding from two grants in February. Photo courtesy of Bounty & Soul
A local nonprofit organization that works to provide fresh whole foods and locally-grown produce to people and families facing food and nutrition insecurity in Western North Carolina has been awarded critical funding through the Dogwood Health Trust and The Community Foundation of WNC.
The grants come as Bounty & Soul, which hosts free weekly food markets, has experienced a 280% increase in participation since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are deeply grateful to receive not only the financial support of Dogwood Health Trust and CFWNC, but also to be part of collaborative efforts to bring health and food equity to all people in WNC,” Bounty & Soul Founder and Executive Director Ali Casparian said of the grants. “We are honored to partner with these two great foundations as we collectively address food and nutrition insecurity while strengthening our local food system in symbiotic, supportive and co-creative ways.”
The grant from Dogwood Health will give $190,000 over three years in support of Bounty & Soul, helping curb the increased cost of operations and programming. The funds will assist the organization in securing and storing food from across WNC; providing three weekly Produce to the People no-cost produce markets and expanding the Farmers Alliance Program, which is dedicated to creating mutually-beneficial relationships with WNC farms and farmers to source locally-grown produce for distribution and purchase.
“Dogwood is proud to support Bounty and Soul’s work to provide fresh, healthy food and nutritional education in a welcoming setting for the community,” said Margarita J. Gonzalez, MPH, MPA and Health and Wellness Associate with Dogwood Health Trust. “The care, thoughtfulness and humility that they bring to their work encourages more people to take advantage of their offerings and improve nutrition, which is a key social determinant of health.”
A grant of $20,000 from the CFWNC will allow the nonprofit to significantly expand the markets.
“CFWNC is honored to have partnered with Bounty & Soul since 2014 when it was a smaller, all-volunteer group,” CFWMC Senior Program Officer Virginia Dollar said of the organization’s continued support. “Today, it provides fresh food and wellness programs to more than 1,700 people weekly. Bounty & Soul’s programs address food insecurity and healthy living while also supporting the local food system.”
Bounty & Soul, which was founded in 2014, provided food for 107,000 people and 33,000 households last year.