CINCINNATI — The City of Cincinnati gave an $850,000 grant to more than a dozen local organizations, including Cincinnati Children's Hospital, in an effort to address food insecurity and reduce gun violence.
Provided by the Cincinnati Office of Human Services, the grant is the city's 2026 Impact Award. It's the second award given since the program was created in 2024 to tackle systemic problems.
The city said the program aims to form a network of food resource hubs and urban farms in high-risk neighborhoods. In the first year of the program, hubs will be created in Avondale, East Price Hill and the West End.
The program was designed to engage specifically with gun violence survivors, system-involved youth and public school students, the city said.
"There's a direct connection between experiencing food insecurity and experiencing gun violence, either as a victim or a perpetrator," said City Manager Sheryl Long.
Hubs will offer food, connection to other services and opportunities for community building.
The Impact Award will also fund urban farming operations, which are expected to grow tens of thousands of pounds of produce and create jobs for neighborhood residents, according to the city.
Here's a full list of the organizations that received funding for the program:
- Closing the Health Gap
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
- Feed the Soul
- Green Umbrella
- La Soupe
- Urban Farming Initiative
- Love in Action
- Whole Again
- Findlay Market
- Greater Cincinnati Resilience Coalition
- Isaiah 55, Inc.
- Lord's Gym
- Verge Monarch
- Produce Rx
The grant is paid for by Cincinnati's general fund, according to the city.
