Cargill Foundation advances childhood nutrition in the Twin Cities, donates $10 million to nonprofits

In 2019, the Cargill Foundation distributed $10 million to nonprofits in the Twin Cities, partnering with several Twin Cities organizations to minimize the opportunity gap for low income children and advance childhood nutrition. On any given day, 1 in 8 children (162,500) in Minnesota are at risk of hunger. The Cargill Foundation chose this pressing social issue in Minnesota as a priority because a stable, nutritious diet is proven to be a necessary foundation for children’s health, growth, learning and success.

“As a global food and agriculture company based in Minnesota, our employees across nations work to nourish the world in a safe and responsible way. Nutrition is at the core of what we do,” said Michelle Grogg, Vice President Global Corporate Responsibility and Executive Director of the Cargill Foundation. “We bring that same focus on nutrition to the Twin Cities through our funding and partnerships. This year, we specifically focused on childhood nutrition and food justice, supporting organizations that grow healthy foods, educate children and families on food choices and increase access to nutritious foods for children in low income households across the Twin Cities.”

The Cargill Foundation partnered with a number of local organizations this year including: 

• Appetite for Change works to offer children the opportunity to grow nutritious food. In urban gardens in North Minneapolis, children plant seedlings, harvest that produce and then eat the nutritious foods. If there is a surplus, they sell the produce at the local farmers market.

“Cargill has been an amazing partner and supporter of our food justice work, and is leading the corporate and philanthropic community in recognizing childhood nutrition and food access as a major issue. We are grateful for their support,” Michelle Horovitz, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Appetite for Change. 

• Harold Mezile North Community YMCA Youth & Teen Enrichment Center educates children on the importance of making healthy food choices. Through the Cargill Teaching Kitchen, children are given the opportunity to take hands on cooking classes to learn how to prepare and eat nutritious foods and bring food and recipes home to share with their family and caregivers.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Cargill Foundation to provide access to resources and develop enriching programs that improve healthy habits,” said Glen Gunderson, President and CEO of YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities. “Youth and families in the North Minneapolis community will experience firsthand fun programs highlighting how to prepare simple, great tasting and nutritious snacks and meals.”

• Twin Cities Mobile Market works to provide access to healthy produce options. The Wilder Foundation’s Twin Cities Mobile Market is a city bus converted into a grocery store, bringing affordable and fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, grains and other high-quality groceries directly into neighborhoods in the Twin Cities who do not have easy access to these nutritious foods.

“We’re thrilled to provide families with even greater access to healthy, affordable food. Thanks to Cargill’s support, we are able to eliminate many of the barriers that prevent families from putting fresh fruits and vegetables on the table,” said Leah Porter, director of the Twin Cities Mobile Market.

Each year, the Cargill Foundation focuses its efforts on making a positive impact in Minnesota, where the company is headquartered and where the company has 17 facilities with more than 5,000 employees. In addition to the Cargill Foundation contributions, Cargill employees volunteer their time and expertise in community projects.  

Cargill’s 160,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 154 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture.