San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is donating $25,000 to a north Minneapolis nonprofit that works to encourage healthier eating in urban neighborhoods.
Kaepernick, who has been in the news for kneeling during the national anthem to protest police shootings of unarmed black men, is less well known for his foundation, which each month selects several beneficiaries of his own money and the proceeds of his jersey sales. He has said he wants to help groups that promote racial and other forms of equality.
According to his foundation's website, one of his December beneficiaries is Appetite for Change, which made news of its own last month when it released a music video featuring North Side youths performing the song "Grow Food."
Because poor urban black neighborhoods often have no grocery stores or access to fresh produce, it's harder for residents to eat nutritiously, resulting in a higher incidence of health problems. That's the syndrome Appetite for Change was formed to combat.
Kaepernick's website says his donation to the group will provide:
• $5,000 for a switch to 100 percent organic ingredients in community cooking workshops (six workshops per month) aimed at improving the nutritional value of meals served by north Minneapolis families.
• $5,000 to add a new urban farm plot to the group's land, increasing the amount of produce grown by approximately 1,000 pounds. This additional produce would be sold at the West Broadway Farmers Market and used in the kitchen at Breaking Bread Café.
• $5,000 to improve a nutrition curriculum for 50 teens and young adults participating in Appetite for Change's Youth Opportunity & Training Program.
• $5,000 to increase Appetite for Change's organizational capacity, from staff training to new hires.
• $5,000 to raise national awareness about Appetite for Change and its work around issues of food and racial equality.
