NourishDC partners seek recurring funding as small food businesses and residents raise DMPED concerns, CVS closure alarms community

Capital Impact Partners and local food-economy partners urged the Committee on Business and Economic Development to restore ongoing funding for NourishDC, a collaborative technical assistance, grant and lending program that has supported food entrepreneurs in Wards 5, 7 and 8.

The nut graf: Witnesses said NourishDC’s grant and lending work — funded initially through a DMPED award of $1.0 million and a subsequent $3.4 million award — had leveraged private capital and deployed financing and grants to dozens of small food businesses; they asked the council to include $1.0 million annually in the next budget to sustain programming.

Allison Powers, director of economic opportunities for Capital Impact Partners, said NourishDC partners have deployed more than $18.5 million in financing, provided approximately $900,000 in grants and delivered technical assistance to about 1,100 food businesses, and that program continuity is at risk because proposed budget documents do not include NourishDC funding for the coming year.

Multiple small-business owners described direct benefits. Ivy Armstrong, founder of Fight Juice, said NourishDC grants and technical assistance helped her grow from farmers-market sales to supplying local schools and community organizations. Witnesses asked DMPED and the council to continue funding so NourishDC can attract private funding and expand technical assistance, grantmaking and lending functions.

Separately, residents raised urgent questions about DMPED oversight and public land decisions: Eric Bennett, a Ward 7 resident, said the CVS on Bladensburg Road NE is slated for closure and warned the loss of a neighborhood pharmacy would harm seniors and residents who rely on nearby prescription access. Robin Diner of the Library Renaissance Project urged council scrutiny of proposals that would transfer public land for mixed-use projects and asked for clearer public engagement on library-related redevelopment in U Street and Chevy Chase.

Ending: NourishDC partners urged the council to budget recurring funds to preserve a food-access and small-business pipeline that program partners say has leveraged substantial private capital. Committee members said they would pursue oversight with DMPED and other agencies about NourishDC funding, the CVS closure and library land-use questions.