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August 2011

How the Calvert Foundation Supports Food Security

Today, 23.5 million Americans live in food deserts, or communities where residents have little access to fresh, healthy food. Residents in food deserts commonly rely on
convenience stores and fast food outlets, which mainly sell high-fat, low-nutrition food.

In July, First Lady Michelle Obama announced a new fund that would invest capital in increasing access to healthy, affordable food in California's food deserts. Thanks to the Calvert Foundation, you can invest in this fund with as little as $20.

The California FreshWorks Fund (CAFWF) is a $200 million public-private loan fund that will provide financing for over 1,500 grocery stores and other healthy food
outlets in the state’s food deserts.

As part of her campaign against childhood obesity, in July Michelle Obama announced the California FreshWorks Fund, a loan fund to bring fresh food to California "food deserts".
(Official White House photo by Samantha Appleton)

Calvert Foundation is one of the private partners investing in the fund, and in
partnership with Microplace.com, it’s made it possible for everyone to get involved. Individuals can invest as little as $20 in a Calvert Foundation Community Investing Note supporting the fund via Microplace. Investors will earn 0.5 percent interest and can receive their principal back after a year or reinvest it.

At the announcement event, Mrs. Obama noted that the CA FreshWorks Fund was just beginning: “[If] the companies represented here today can step up and make these investments, there is absolutely no reason why every food retailer in this country can’t find some way to get involved as well.”

For more details, visit CAFreshWorks.com, and to invest, visit Microplace.com/freshworks.

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