Emmanuel College’s The Urban Food Project just received a big boost. The New Balance Foundation is donating a $25,000 grant to the program, and will also underwrite the program in its inaugural year.

The Urban Food Project will be centrally located on the Notre Dame campus of Emmanuel College in Roxbury. The idea is to support the growing number of families in Boston who are constantly on the verge of going hungry. A 2010 study found that one in nine residents in Boston are at risk of hunger.

Emmanuel students who partake in The Urban Food Project will connect with neighbors to help them focus on the availability of nutritional food, which also emphasizes The New Balance Foundation’s mission of healthy lifestyles. Projects taken on by Emmanuel students will include planting and maintaining an urban garden, developing a food distribution plan, and offer workshops, classes and tips on eating well.

New Balance’s fund for the year will provide the Project with student program coordinators, an urban gardening consultant, and supplies and materials.

Image via Mike Mozart/Flickr