About Us

Our Mission:

Helping people improve their lives and communities through gardening. Growing Hope fosters learning, improves nutrition, encourages self-reliance, and promotes positive community futures.

Target Audience:

Growing Hope primarily serves under-resourced and disadvantaged populations, either directly or through collaboration with partner agencies/organizations.

Activities:

Growing Hope serves as a technical assistant, program coordinator/partner, and general resource for non-profit organizations, public agencies, and educational institutions that wish to use gardening as a way to further their social, educational, and/or environmental missions. Activities include providing start-up and ongoing gardening assistance, developing and coordinating programs, teaching classes and workshops, developing curricula and training materials, and facilitating partnerships and collaboration.

Why Community and School Gardens?

Growing Hope gardens have a real impact on every community they serve. The opportunities to work outside and grow nutritious food promote good health and nutrition. Young gardeners are excited to eat what they’ve grown, and the healthy eating habits they develop in the garden reduce the risk for obesity and chronic illnesses in later years. Teaching people to grow their own food allows the most vulnerable members of the community to affordably provide for their families strengthening the entire community’s food security and lessening the need for emergency food assistance. Gardens improve neighborhood environments by beautifying them and providing a positive recreational space. The increased outdoor activity and neighborhood ownership can even help reduce crime.

Community gardens are a perfect community-building tool. They bring people of all ages, ethnicities and income levels together to learn from one ; they grow and thrive when there is a dedication to teamwork. Gardens provide abundant educational opportunities. Not only do they demonstrate where food comes from, but they also teach job skills, illustrate the value of cooperation, foster cross-cultural learning, and develop the leaders of tomorrow