National coffee company awards $100,000 to Muskegon County organizations

La Colombe, through Chobani’s Community Impact Fund, is awarding $100,000 in grants to seven Muskegon County organizations to support food access, school garden programs, pantries and nutrition education; the announcement follows approval of a $479 million expansion at La Colombe’s Norton Shores facility.

La Colombe Coffee Roasters announced $100,000 in local grants to seven Muskegon County organizations through the Community Impact Fund, a program run by parent company Chobani to expand access to fresh, nutritious food. The grant awards focus on school gardens, fresh food pantries, food rescue work, nutrition support and food education for students and families. The announcement comes after Norton Shores officials approved a two-phase expansion of La Colombe’s facility, a project described as involving substantial new construction and equipment investments. Key details: - La Colombe’s Community Impact Fund is awarding $100,000 to seven local groups, while Chobani and La Colombe are providing $400,000 in grants nationwide; the local grants were announced after approval of a $479 million expansion plan for the Norton Shores site. - Muskegon Rescue Mission received $20,000 to upgrade kitchen equipment and increase meal capacity for people and families experiencing homelessness. - Access Health was awarded $19,600 to support the Muskegon County Food Rescue and Food Club Development project and expand pantry partnerships. - Muskegon Area Intermediate School District received $19,554 for a pilot program to create culturally relevant, locally sourced meals and offer student nutrition and career resources. - Trinity Health Muskegon and Mission for Area People each received $10,000 to support Farm Share assistance, pantry strengthening, and services tied to food access and family supports. - City of Muskegon received $13,346 and Muskegon Heights Coalition received $7,500 to expand programs like Kids Power of Produce and outdoor school garden classrooms. Summary: The grants are intended to strengthen local food infrastructure by supporting hands-on nutrition education, pantry capacity, food rescue and meal programs, which may increase access to fresh and locally sourced food for students, families and people experiencing homelessness. The Norton Shores expansion is planned in two phases and is expected to more than double the facility’s size and add jobs as the project moves forward.