NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The Humana Foundation, philanthropic arm of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) for the past 40 years, announces its second year of investments, totaling nearly $1 million in two local projects in the greater New Orleans area. Kingsley House will receive an investment of $341,000 to fund a program that helps lift families out of generational poverty. Growing Local Food Collaborative, a partnership among several organizations, will receive an investment of $600,000 to address food security, as well as financial asset security and post-secondary education and sustaining employment.
The investments from The Humana Foundation were renewed based on the significant results achieved by both organizations in 2020, who used innovative thinking to face new needs created by the pandemic. Kingsley House transitioned 75% of its programming to an online environment. It also strengthened partnerships with health care partners and employers actively training and hiring Kingsley Connections Program participants. Growing Local Food Collaborative shifted some farmers to a digital sales model, and provided information on food relief and food access resources to families who are newly food insecure. Additionally, they were also able to provide home food delivery through Top Box Foods to individuals with health conditions that made them particularly susceptible to COVID-19.
“The Humana Foundation’s Strategic Community Investments holistically address social determinants of health locally, working to close measurable gaps in health outcomes,” said Walter D. Woods, CEO of The Humana Foundation. “We are looking forward to the second year of our partnership with Kingsley House and Growing Local Food Collaborative as we work together to achieve greater health equity in a sustainable manner.”
Founded in 1896, Kingsley House works to educate children, strengthen families and build community, envisioning a future New Orleans where all young children are ready to learn and all citizens are healthy and economically stable. Kingsley House, in collaboration with DePaul Community Health Centers and Crescent City Family Services and other Thriving Family Collaborative members will continue to use The Foundation’s investment for its Career Pathways program, creating greater economic security, and post-secondary attainment and sustaining employment in New Orleans by using the Whole Family approach to lift families out of generational poverty.
“Humana’s continued investment in our community is critical to helping families during this most recent health and economic crisis,” said Keith H. Liederman, CEO of Kingsley House. “With their support, and in collaboration with our partners of the Thriving Families Collaborative, we have been able to connect families to available resources and help secure living-wage careers during the pandemic. Humana’s commitment is assisting families on their path toward economic prosperity.”
Growing Local Food Collaborative will receive $600,000 to continue their work addressing financial asset security, post-secondary attainment and sustaining employment, and food security in New Orleans. The program takes a unique, cooperative approach by working through local partnerships to bring fresh food into food deserts, to create new markets and train local farmers, and to provide training and an employment pipeline for youth in the local food and hospitality economy.
“Our Growing Local Food Collaborative is so excited to be partnering with The Humana Foundation again this year to continue working toward a more inclusive and equitable food system that supports good health and wellness in our community” said Marianne Cufone. The organizations she leads, Recirculating Farms, along with Liberty’s Kitchen, Top Box Foods Louisiana, SPROUT NOLA, and New Orleans Food Policy Action Committee, teamed up to form the Growing Local Food Collaborative to work from farm to fork on food systems change.
