The Lumpkin Family Foundation supports people working together to build healthy, sustainable communities in East Central Illinois and across the US.
The Austin Fresh and North Lawndale Fresh initiatives seek to address food insecurity and promote health in Chicago's communities with a specific focus on North Lawndale. With a one-million-dollar annual fund from 2022 to 2026, the fund supports the expansion of healthy retail options, community gardens, local food production, food enterprises, and the strengthening of food assistance programs. The grant program encourages projects such as community food gardens, school habitat projects related to food production, community kitchens, food cooperatives, nutrition education, community cooking efforts, and commercial ventures aimed at increasing access to healthy or local food. The program emphasizes a place-based model of funding, involving community participation in grant-making decisions to ensure that solutions are community-owned and supported. The goals include expanding healthy food options, increasing access to green spaces, developing nutrition assistance and education, and boosting the local economy through food-related enterprises, aligned with North Lawndale’s Quality of Life Plan.