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Open (Posted) Date
Closed Date
Funding Opportunity #
USDA-FNS-POS-RCPNC-2015

FY 2015 Rural Child Poverty Center

This RFA intends to select one institution/organization to establish the USDA Rural Child Poverty Nutrition Center. The role of this Center will be to develop and administer a series of sub-grants pertinent to the purposes of this grant, coordinate relevant grant-related activities among sub-grantees and researchers, conduct an evaluation of sub-grantees’ programs, and widely disseminate information on communities’ implementation strategies and evaluation findings. The goal of the Center will be to reduce child food insecurity by improving Child Nutrition Assistance program coordination with other nutrition assistance programs or services in persistently poor rural counties.

Letter of Intent to Apply Date (Optional): Oct. 20, 2014, no later than 11:59 PM (EDT)
Application Submission Date: Dec. 1, 2014, no later than 11:59 PM (EDT)
Award Date: Jan. 30, 2015

Authorization

The legislative authority for this grant announcement is Section 6 [42 USC 1755 ] (a)(3) of the National School Lunch Act.

Purpose

This RFA intends to select one institution/organization to establish the USDA Rural Child Poverty Nutrition Center. The role of this Center will be to develop and administer a series of sub-grants pertinent to the purposes of this grant, coordinate relevant grant-related activities among sub-grantees and researchers, conduct an evaluation of sub-grantees’ programs, and widely disseminate information on communities’ implementation strategies and evaluation findings. The goal of the Center will be to reduce child food insecurity by improving Child Nutrition Assistance program coordination with other nutrition assistance programs or services in persistently poor rural counties.

Funding

Grant funds will be made available on a competitive basis, subject to availability of federal funds. Approximately $2.5 million is available for funding this new Cooperative Agreement. Multiple applications per institution will be accepted, however only one award will be made to one applicant. The grantee will be responsible for awarding at least 51% of their awarded amount as sub-grants to persistently poor rural counties for the purposes of reducing child food insecurity by increasing cross-program coordination among Child Nutrition and other food assistance programs.

Eligibility

This Request for Application (RFA) is open to all Accredited Colleges/Universities, and Private or Public Research Institutions. These are requirements for the selected recipient of the Cooperative Agreement, not any potential sub-grantees.

Awardees

Sub Grants
  • RCPNC:  In 2015, USDA awarded the University of Kentucky $2.5 million to form the Rural Child Poverty Nutrition Center to fund and administer sub-grants in persistently poor rural counties to reduce child food insecurity through improved program coordination among Child Nutrition and other nutrition assistance programs. The Center has identified 17 sub-grantees that will receive awards ranging from over $50,000 to almost $100,000 for their creative strategies to improve access to USDA/FNS programs for families and children.  
  • Mississippi Roadmap to Health Equity, Inc: This project is focused on coordinating between communities and nutrition assistance agencies to better provide benefits to people who are eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).  In particular, the project seeks to change the stigma associated with WIC participation and will identify strategies to increase access to WIC pick up locations.
  • PreK-12 and Beyond (Louisiana):  This project seeks to improve access to nutrition assistance programs working with partners to educate community members about nutrition assistance programs available to them.  The project will concentrate on addressing barriers to physical access through a car pool program to Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sites and reducing social stigma through a Story Board contest.  
  • Center for Community and Economic Development, Inc (South Carolina):  This project will serve SC’s Promise Zone counties to build the capacity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and child nutrition programs to meet the needs of families.  The project aims to increase food distribution through improved coordination by identifying service gaps and developing a coordination plan using digital media.  
  • The Chickasaw Nation (Oklahoma): With this grant, Chickasaw Nation will develop a universal screening tool to determine a potential client’s income eligibility for any nutrition program services and will provide program referrals to participants. The tool will provide a more effective way to inform and education clients about available nutrition programs for which they are eligible.
  • Action Pathways (Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina):  Action Pathways has a well-established network that it will use to reach and educate community members on food assistance programs that are available and for which they might qualify. Application assistance will also be available to those who are interested.
  • Crisp County Community Council (Georgia):  Crisp County Community plans to expand the number of SFSP sites in the community.  The project will also reach out to income eligible families with the goal of increasing their awareness of other food assistance programs.
  • Summit School District #54-6 (South Dakota):  The Summit School District will first expand their backpack program to ensure students have food when school is not in session.  The school district will also partner with other groups to implement SFSP.
  • Auburn University-Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama):  This project will use a community involvement approach to identify challenges around food issues, working with local stakeholders and people in the community.  Action teams will develop local strategies and empowerment tools designed to improve participation in child nutrition programs.
  • East Arkansas Enterprise Community (EAEC):  EAEC will work with WIC and SNAP staff to educate the public about these programs and ways to access them.  The project will also focus on removing the stigma associated with free or reduced price school meals by helping schools become Community Eligibility Provision schools.
  • The University of Tennessee:  This project seeks to increase participation in food assistance programs working with child care providers, Head Start, and Pre-K programs in Johnson County.  The University will work with child care providers to promote other child nutrition programs for parents and provide resource guides.  There will also be an intense marketing campaign to encourage redemption of WIC vouchers at farmers' markets and to promote summer feeding programs.
  • The University of Tennessee:  This project seeks to increase participation rates in a number of food assistance programs by partnering with existing groups to create a comprehensive Lake county resource book that will be available to the public, develop a website containing information from all of the partnering agencies, and the group will also hold meetings to increase awareness to available resources.
  • Texas Hunger Initiative (THI), Baylor University:  THI will develop and support the formation of Child Food Security Stakeholder Councils (CFSSC) to increase capacity of sponsors for afterschool and other child nutrition programs and increase the availability of school breakfast. THI will first form collaborations with county judges, school superintendents, and food service personnel and work to build the coalition from there, focusing on participants in food assistance programs and stakeholder organizations overseeing these programs.
  • The Family Center Food Bank of the Delta (Arkansas):  The Family Center Food Bank of the Delta proposes to improve child nutrition program coordination through a community advisory council working across its food pantry partners.  The primary goals are to develop strategies to reduce the fragmentation of services by creating a referral system for program applicants, extending program hours, helping rural communities add new food assistance programs, and providing interpreters and other communication services.
  • West Central Alabama Area Health Education Center (AHEC):  AHEC will implement a project focused on developing “Community Champions” aimed at cultivating local community members who will promote WIC, SNAP, and SFSP.  The AHEC work will center on helping reduce barriers to program participation in their target communities.
  • Clinton County Community Foundation (Kentucky):  The Clinton County Community Foundation will work with the target communities to add additional SFSP sites in locations where children can walk safely to sites to participate in the program.  The additional SFSP sites will be promoted in nearby subdivisions and recreational areas frequented by children and their families.  An additional evening meal service for the Child and Adult Care Food Program is also planned for school-aged children.
  • Whiteville City Schools (North Carolina):  This project seeks to enhance coordination among school meal, WIC, and SNAP programs through improved inter-agency communication, the development of communication tools targeted at young families, and the development of social media resources to be shared across agencies and with the Community School Coordinator.
  • Fulton County Schools (Kentucky):  Transportation is a primary barrier for people in the Fulton KY area in terms of accessing food assistance programs.  This grant seeks to create a mobile system that will deliver meals through SFSP, and will provide non-perishable food items and nutrition assistance program brochures to high need areas.
Page updated: November 19, 2024