Food Bank of Puerto Rico opens RFP for $1M ‘Hambre Cero’ initiative
To mark its 34th anniversary, the Food Bank of Puerto Rico announced its second RFP for “Puerto Rico Hambre Cero 2022,” which has $1 million available to award for the development of ideas and projects focused on food, education, nutrition, economic development, job creation, and agriculture with the goal of bringing the island closer to a hunger free status.
Interested nonprofit organizations must submit their proposals by July 15, said Food Bank President Denise Santos.
While the exact amount of funds to be granted this year will depend on the needs of the selected projects, the figure is projected to surpass $1 million, she said.
“Since its creation in 1988, Food Bank of Puerto Rico has worked hard to alleviate hunger and improve the nutrition of disadvantaged Puerto Ricans. This has been possible thanks to our team, volunteers, and sponsors,” she said.
“It’s also worth mentioning our nonprofit member organization, which have been our allies in reaching out to communities,” said Santos.
With the goal of expanding the reach of this initiative, this year the entity will accept entries from all nonprofit organizations regardless of their relationship to the Food Bank.
The Food Bank is looking for “creative and innovative proposals” that establish collaborative ties with other organizations and meet the objectives of sustainability and resiliency. Additionally, projects must be completed in a 24-month period and have a real and measurable impact.
“For the Food Bank of Puerto Rico, it’s fundamental that the submitted projects are self-sustainable because this maximizes all our resources. Projects should also have measurable mid- and long-term impact,” Santos said.
“So, our evaluation process is very detail-oriented, and will be conducted by independent judges, professionals in different sectors who will select the wining proposals,” Santos added.
Last year, the Food Bank of Puerto Rico granted nearly $2 million to 26 entities islandwide through the “Hambre Cero” grants.
This initiative is part of the ongoing efforts of the Food Bank Rico for the past 34 years in benefit of those who are suffering food insecurity. During the current fiscal year, it has distributed more than 12.5 million pounds of food to mothers and infants, children, college students, the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, and unemployed individuals throughout the 78 municipalities.
“At the Food Bank of Puerto Rico, we feel proud of each achievement, from the day it was born as an initiative from a group of missionaries distributing food from a car trunk, until today, when we operate from a 40,813-square-feet distribution center. We want to continue serving our people and advancing our vision of a Hunger Free Puerto Rico. We encourage all nonprofit entities that share our vision to submit their proposals,” said Santos.
