SALEM — Mayor Kimberley Driscoll announced that part of the first round of American Rescue Plan Act funding received by the city — nearly $600,000 — will be put toward improving healthy food security.
“The ability for Salem residents to access healthy food is incredibly important and was identified in our ARPA surveys as one of the most critical needs facing our community at the moment,” said Driscoll in a statement.
The $591,205 will be split between five organizations — Mack Park Food Farm, Mayor Jean Levesque Community Life Center Kitchen, Salem Food for All, Root Culinary Job Training, and Salem Pantry.
Mack Park Food Farm will receive $94,105 for replacement of the parking lot, improvement of drainage, adding accessibility upgrades, and a new pathway to the edible forest, the statement said. The funding will allow for improved access to food for the community through better and more accessible connections to the community farm, stand, and edible forest. The farm will also be able to support the construction of raised beds around the perimeter, enabling it to grow more food.
Mayor Jean Levesque Community Life Center kitchen will receive $140,000 to “cook and prepare healthy meals on site, providing more nutritious options not only for seniors, but all CLC users of all ages, to foster a greater sense of community and activity at this important community facility,” the statement said.
Salem Food for All, the City’s food policy council, is set to receive $28,000 to “support and expand a number of existing and successful food access programs” conducted by the council, including “$8,000 for the next several “Meet and Eat” community meals and $6,000 to add a second Meet and Eat meals site, $7,000 for the Salem Summer Meals program for children in the community, and $7,000 for additional meals through the Salem Pantry Mobile Market,” the statement said.
Root Culinary Job Training, a nonprofit youth job training program, will receive $63,100 for a number of program needs including equipment, supplies, and transportation through the end of 2022.
Salem Pantry is getting $266,000 to support the construction of the organization’s first brick and mortar storefront.
“While these are major investments in our food security efforts, they only represent the initial phase of these measures. Our ARPA allocations are guided by public input gathered from the stakeholder advisory group, public forums, and resident survey. But we are also committed to being responsive to the efficacy of programs: we will consistently evaluate and measure how these initiatives work and, in future phases of Salem’s ARPA allocations, respond accordingly based on those results and the changing context of our local food security needs,” said Driscoll.
Magella Cantara can be reached at [email protected].
