Despite challenges and adjustments to the program due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Annual Philanthropy project experienced yet another fruitful year with powerful results. Selected from a pool of 10 applicants, The Food Literacy Project at Oxmoor Farms (FLP) submitted by Rachel Nally, Environmental Sustainability Manager, was designated as the project recipient. Together Rachel worked with the philanthropy team to champion her submission by promoting various fundraising efforts across the company. At the end of the project, the employees of Heaven Hill along with the company match of $5,000 raised a grand total of $13,765.33, which was presented via virtual press event to The Food Literacy Project.

The Food Literacy Project’s mission is to help youth transform their communities through food, farming and the land. They achieve this mission by providing farm-based experiential education and entrepreneurial youth development programs that bring the Field-to-Fork experience to life for local youth. In a time of great concern about the safety of our food sources, rising obesity and diabetes rates, as well as the cultural disconnection between our food and the earth, the Food Literacy Project offers experiential education programs that foster healthier children, healthier communities, and increased respect for the land.

The Food Literacy Project is extremely important to Rachel because having been raised in the suburbs, she did not have regular exposure to seeing food grow. Though her parents had a garden, she was lucky to spend some weekends at her grandparent’s rural home where they had a large kitchen garden, until they too moved to the suburbs. As small family farms and kitchen gardens rapidly disappear from the landscape, so does the knowledge of how to grow food, cook food, and care for the land, especially in urban and underserved areas. FLP’s vision to “create a healthy and equitable community where people and places thrive” speaks loudly to her, especially today. In a time where 40% of urban elementary children don’t know that hamburger meat comes from cows, teaching children to recognize, grow and cook their own food is not only vital to their own health, but also critically important to creating and preserving sustainable food systems. These children will become the next generation of voters and elected officials who will make important decisions about the future of food and farms in the United States. Additionally, many of FLP’s programs are targeted to underserved and underprivileged children and teens in Louisville, focusing on the south and west ends of Louisville. At a time in our city and country when long-standing racial injustices are coming to light, organizations like FLP that focus their work in these communities are more important than ever.

Employee donations came through a variety of activities including a vacation day raffle, a department ‘Battle of the Baskets,’ Payroll Deduction, 50/50 Raffle, and Virtual Item Collection. Due to challenges from COVID-19, we asked that employees donate online through GoFundMe whenever possible avoiding in-person cash and check donations. Additionally, the Battle of the Baskets and Item Collection were conducted completely virtually to ensure our Heaven Hill family stayed safe. Departments designated basket coordinators and worked together via email and video to compile their baskets. The item collection was conducted using a pre-made Amazon Wishlist curated by the Food Literacy Project allowing items to be shipped directly to their offices. Totals for each fundraising effort are listed in the table displayed below.

The project concluded with a virtual press event where Heaven Hill representative Rachel Nally presented a check via Zoom to the Food Literacy Project on behalf of Heaven Hill employees. The presentation was recorded and included in a press release sent out to local news outlets.

About the Annual Philanthropy Project

Every year, Heaven Hill employees are eligible to submit a charity to the company’s leadership team to be considered for the Annual Philanthropy Project. It is a company priority that the funds raised benefit a network in a community where many Heaven Hill employees work and live. After a selection is made, the project is championed by the employee who submitted said charity with substantial support from the employee-led philanthropy committee. Several fundraising efforts are then conducted companywide to raise money for the cause. Following the fundraising period, Heaven Hill will match the total monies raised up to $5,000. Applicants who submitted a charity, but were not selected, each will receive a $100 donation toward their philanthropic submission except for one applicant, typically someone outside of the Louisville/Bardstown area, who will receive a $500 donation.​​​​​​​