Chicago, IL  – June 14, 2012 – Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago is one of only 13 nonprofit organizations in 10 states selected to receive $75,000 as part of the ConAgra Foods Foundation’s Community Impact Grants program.

After a highly competitive two-step process, 13 organizations were selected to receive grants totaling nearly $500,000 to support their innovative approaches to helping fight child hunger.  Catholic Charities received a $75,000 grant for its Summer Food Program. Catholic Charities’ Summer Food Program (SFP) provides free, nutritious meals to help children 18 and younger in low-income areas get the nutrition they need to learn, play and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school. In addition to serving meals in safe environments, the program provides opportunities for physical activity, nutrition education and jobs for youth.

“Along with serving healthy meals, we believe that nutrition education and physical activity are important for the foundation of a young person’s healthy lifestyle,” said Angel Gutierrez, Vice President of Community Development and Outreach Services for Catholic Charities. “With this grant, we will be able to expand our established nutrition education curriculum and provide children with equipment for fun, supervised play. This grant will also help us reach out to more children in need by utilizing paid advertising on buses and trains in high traffic areas in our community.”

“Our Community Impact Grants are an opportunity to work with leading anti-hunger organizations that, on a local level, provide sustainable and innovative solutions to end child hunger. It’s important to partner with organizations like Catholic Charities, as their contributions directly impact the more than 16 million children in the U.S. facing food insecurity this year,” said Kori Reed, Vice President, ConAgra Foods Foundation and Cause.

Now in its third year, the ConAgra Foods Foundation’s Community Impact Grants program has invested approximately $1.4 million dollars in nonprofit organizations serving high-need communities nationwide. Organizations selected to receive grants are delivering programs in states where ConAgra Foods has an employee presence and where more than 25 percent of children are at risk of hunger. Special emphasis was also placed on serving child populations which are disproportionately affected by child hunger including, but not limited to: African American, Hispanic and Native American. 

About Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago

Helping people in need for 95 years, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago is one of  the largest private, not-for-profit social service agencies in the Midwest, annually assisting more than one  million persons in Cook and Lake counties without regard to religious, ethnic or economic background.  Catholic Charities fulfills the Church’s role in the mission of charity by providing compassionate, competent, professional services that strengthen and support individuals, families and communities. 

About ConAgra Foods Foundation

The ConAgra Foods Foundation, through its Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow platform, is dedicated to raising awareness of the 16 million children in America who are at risk of hunger and don't have enough food to live active, healthful lives. It aggressively pursues sustainable solutions in the fight against child hunger. And the Foundation is committed to building a community of people who are passionate about ensuring that all kids have access to the food and facts they need to eat nutritiously while living balanced lifestyles and succeeding in school and life. ConAgra Foods Foundation invests in national and local partnerships with high-impact, not-for-profit organizations, such as Feeding America, that take an innovative approach to addressing needs in the core areas of hunger and nutrition education. For more information, please visit www.conagrafoodsfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation. The ConAgra Foods Foundation is funded solely by ConAgra Foods (NYSE: CAG).

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago is one of the largest private, not-for-profit social service agencies in the Midwest, annually assisting 1.1 million persons in Cook and Lake counties without regard to religious, ethnic or economic background. Catholic Charities fulfills the Church's role in the mission of charity by providing compassionate, competent, professional services that strengthen and support individuals, families and communities.