Miami – The Carrie Meek Foundation, Inc., the private charity advancing Congresswoman Meek’s legacy to build civically engaged, well-resourced and resilient communities, announced 22 winners in the 2022 Meek Mobilize Grants Program. The inaugural grants support the best ideas, projects, programs and initiatives that activate residents in Opa-locka, Liberty City and Florida City around issues that matter to them. Instacart, a leading retail enablement platform, will support the Foundation’s investments with additional funding to combat nutrition insecurity and support innovative community development efforts. Anyone was eligible to apply for the grant opportunity, regardless of 501c3 status. The unique program aims to strengthen neighborhoods and unite residents behind critical quality of life causes impacting MiamiDade’s Black and Brown communities.

“The Meek Mobilize Grants winners reflect our best: selfless residents who are committed to improving their community,” said Lucia Davis-Raiford, president and CEO of The Carrie Meek Foundation. “Many of them have created and led effective solutions to the ongoing social and economic issues our people have long-wanted addressed, and they’ve done it with little to no institutional funding. Our goal is to grow the capacity of these projects, so they get access to networks, resources, and the community support needed to more effectively serve our residents.”

Winners, selected from 120 total submissions, include a hydroponic garden project that unites STEM education, community fridges and long-term access to fresh food; a support group for survivors who lost a sibling or parent to violence; a community canvassing effort to take social services directly to residents who need them; and a neighborhood watch program in Opa-locka that has already shown evidence of working in other parts of the county.

Selvin Mathew is an entrepreneur who learned of the Mobilize Grants program shortly after Congresswoman Carrie Meek passed away in late November 2021. He was inspired by her life of service and applied to the Foundation to do his part. His winning project “Supreme Community Cleanup” will activate youth to take pride in their community by pressure cleaning and picking up trash in public places around Opa-locka.

Instacart has partnered with The Carrie Meek Foundation to invest in Meek Mobilize Grants winners that are combating nutrition insecurity and supporting inventive community and youth development solutions in their neighborhoods. The company’s donation will provide a 50% funding boost to a winner in each of the Opa-locka, Liberty City and Florida City communities, and Instacart gift cards will be provided to all of the 22 winning projects to support food and supply needs.

“We are inspired by the impact that each of the winners have made on their communities, and we’re incredibly proud to help support their work through our partnership with The Carrie Meek Foundation,” said Casey Aden-Wansbury, Vice President of Policy & Government Affairs at Instacart. “We’re committed to investing in local neighborhoods, including Black and Brown communities. Partnering with the Foundation helped us identify hyper-local organizations that leverage innovation and grassroots know-how to get residents healthy, nutritious food and inspire the next generation of Miami-Dade’s community builders.”