The Lumpkin Family Foundation supports people working together to build healthy, sustainable communities in East Central Illinois and across the US.
The grant program is focused on promoting equitable access to healthy, affordable food as a critical component of community health in Chicago, particularly in the Austin neighborhood on the city's West Side. It supports a wide range of projects, including community food gardens, neighborhood habitat projects for food production, community kitchens, food cooperatives, nutrition education, and commercial ventures aimed at increasing access to healthy food. The program is based on a place-based model of funding, prioritizing listening to communities and supporting community-owned solutions. It aims to expand healthy retail options, support local food production, empower food enterprises, and strengthen food assistance programs, contributing to the vision of making Chicagoland an equitable region where everyone has access to healthy food.