The Battle Creek Community Foundation has received a $500,000 contribution from the Mars Snacking Foundation Better Community Fund to expand long-term support for food access and basic-needs programs across the Battle Creek area.
The gift is part of $1.7 million in grants awarded by the Mars Snacking Foundation to organizations serving Battle Creek and Calhoun County, according to a community announcement. The $500,000 contribution will strengthen the Equitable Well-Being and Food Access Fund, a permanent endowment established to support food access, personal-care necessities and community resilience initiatives.
Foundation officials said in the announcement that the fund was created to help residents obtain healthy food, hygiene products, clothing and other household essentials. The effort is guided by the Social Drivers of Health framework and focuses on addressing conditions that influence health, well-being and quality of life…