Center for Rural Affairs Receives Grant

Lyons, NE – The Center for Rural Affairs has been awarded a $30,000 grant from Newman’s Own Foundation, the independent foundation created by the late actor and philanthropist, Paul Newman. The funding is part of the Foundation’s two-year, $7 million commitment to innovative programs that are helping to advance nutrition awareness, education, and fresh food access.

The grant to the Center for Rural Affairs will be used to help increase access and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by development of a sustainable community garden in a small town neighborhood primarily occupied by Latino families.

“We appreciate the support of the Newman’s Own Foundation to increase access to healthy fresh fruit and vegetables through teaching people how to grow their own food in a sustainable manner within a community garden,” said Kathie Starkweather with the Center for Rural Affairs. “The training and technical assistance that we will now be able to provide will help ensure a successful garden that will be in place for a long time.”

The Center for Rural Affairs is dedicated to establishing strong rural communities, social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, and genuine opportunity for all, while engaging people in decisions that affect the quality of their lives and the future of their communities.

“There is great momentum right now in addressing the many challenging issues around nutrition,” said Lisa Walker, Managing Director of Newman’s Own Foundation. “We are pleased to award a grant to the Center for Rural Affairs to support their important contributions in this area.”

Paul Newman, the actor and philanthropist who founded Newman’s Own, passed away on September 26, 2008. Now, five years later, his legacy continues as Newman’s Own continues to give away 100% of the profits and royalties from the sale of its food products to charity. Since the company’s founding in 1982, over $380 million has been donated to thousands of organizations, with $125 million having been donated in the past five years alone.