Investments Target Food Insecurity, Affordable Housing, and Community Well-Being
WILMINGTON, N.C. The New Hanover Community Endowment (The Endowment) is taking an important step toward building a stronger, healthier community by awarding more than $6.1 million in grants. These ten investments aim to tackle critical needs in New Hanover County, including expanding access to affordable housing, enhancing childcare and afterschool programs, and ensuring families have access to nutritious food options.
The largest grant supports the expansion of the Schools in Pools program, a collaboration between the NSEA Swim Foundation, the YWCA of the Lower Cape Fear, and the YMCA of Southeastern NC to offer life-saving swim lessons to every second grader in New Hanover County. The program aims to provide essential water-safety and swim skills to more than 2,000 second graders by 2026.
The Endowment is also investing in NourishNC and the expansion of Market on Market, a fullservice grocery store where children in pre-K through 12th grade and families experiencing food insecurity can access healthy food options when they need them. Similarly, Feast Down East funding will improve access to locally grown foods from farming communities in and around southeastern North Carolina and the Mobile Market to persons in need in New Hanover County.
“At the Endowment, our goal is to be more than just a funder – we aim to be a catalyst for change,” said Dan Winslow, president and CEO. “We are excited to work together with this group of grant partners on innovative solutions that will have a measurable impact on New Hanover County.”
The other grants will support the Endowment’s community development and education pillars, with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, affordable housing, and childhood enrichment programs.
“By supporting initiatives that address food insecurity, drive entrepreneurship, and improve access to affordable housing in New Hanover County, we are investing in the future of our community and creating the foundation for lasting positive impact,” said Shannon Winslow, incoming board chair.
Congratulations to our final grant recipients of the 2024 season.
Grants
- Living Hope ILM with United Way of Cape Fear – $200,000
Funding will expand the Living Hope ILM day care center’s operational capacity for the unhoused population in Wilmington. Funds will expand services to be open more days and provide essential resources to ensure guests have access to the support they need to achieve stability. - Hadden Hall I, II Apartments – $180,000
Funding will replace and update the security system and an over 30-year-old elevator system for affordable, senior apartment buildings. - Genesis Block Foundation, with United Way of Cape Fear – $200,000
Funding for core operating costs to enhance support for entrepreneurs and strengthen program delivery of Genesis Block Foundation. - Communities in Schools of Cape Fear – $200,000
Funding will support the expansion of the Freedom School program to serve 100 additional students. Freedom School is a six-week, literacy-based, free summer program designed to increase reading skills through culturally relevant, high-energy, engaging programming, and appropriate books for each grade and reading level. - Blue Ribbon Commission on the Prevention of Youth Violence (DBA Voyage) – $200,000
Funding will support Voyage to continue to provide and build on existing NHCS student and family case management services both at school and at community centers. Funding will support four community healthcare workers working with low-income students to focus on academic success, personal and behavioral development, and meeting basic needs. - NourishNC – $1,165,574
Funding will support NourishNC’s expansion of the Market on Market and the Mobile Market on Market over three years. This will significantly increase NourishNC’s ability to expand high-quality food access to children and families in New Hanover County. - Feast Down East, Inc. – $1,128,720
Funds will nurture the food ecosystem by increasing access to nutritious foods and sustaining and growing Feast Down East and the Mobile Market over three years. They will also cover payroll and health benefit costs for staff positions. - YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina – $1,973,867
Funding will support the the YMCA of Southeastern NC, the YWCA of the Lower Cape Fear, and the NSEA Swim Foundation’s collaborative expansion of the Schools in Pools program. The program offers life-saving swim lessons to New Hanover County second graders, with a goal to scale the program over three years, ensuring that by 2026 more than 2,000 second graders receive essential water-safety and swim skills. - St. Mary’s Health Center – $695,000
Funding will be used for the acquisition of a building on South16th street which will serve as the permanent home for the Saint Mary’s Health Center and ensure access to emergency oral health services and healthcare services for uninsured and underinsured= residents of New Hanover County. - SEEDS of Healing, Inc, with LINC – $140,267
Funding provides general operating support for Seeds of Healing whose mission is to deconstruct myths that perpetuate HIV stigma, to generate support for marginalized people living with or affected by HIV, and to eliminate disparities in HIV outcomes for Black women in New Hanover County. Funding will support wages, office expenses, occupancy, and program optimization.
All grant awards are conditioned on the Endowment’s receipt of a signed grant agreement and
Plan of Accountability by the recipient.
This slate of grants is part of the Endowment’s ongoing grantmaking process to create meaningful change in New Hanover County by investing in education, social and health equity, community safety, and community development. The Endowment encourages organizations to review its pillars for alignment and strategic funding opportunities and to connect with network officers to share ideas and programming updates.
NHCE-December-Awarded-Grants-Press-Release
For more information on the Endowment’s grantmaking process, visit www.nhcendowment.org/grants.
About the New Hanover Community Endowment
The New Hanover Community Endowment’s mission is to address the root challenges in public safety, community development, social and health equity, and education and to develop impactful solutions for every person in New Hanover County. The Endowment was established from the sale of the county-owned New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health in 2020. The initial fund has grown from nearly $1.3 billion to more than $1.6B billion to allow millions of dollars to be awarded as grants each year in perpetuity.