FAQs
What does GH do? I’m doing a project for school and want to interview you/work on a grant with you/write an article about you.
Great! We do require that you spend an amount of time volunteering that is equal to the amount of time your interview will need from the staff. We also require that you agree to give us a copy of your finished product. We do not accept grant volunteers on a short-term basis; if you are particularly interested, you may join our grants meetings in October and work with us for the winter fundraising and grantwriting season.
Where can I find research about food security in Washtenaw County?
See our Resources page.
How long has GH been around?
Growing Hope was formally incorporated as a 501(c)3 in 2003. The “seeds” of Growing Hope were planted even before that, starting with our garden at the Perry Child Development Center in 1999.
How many people work at GH?
Growing Hope has a full-time executive director, a part-time office manager, and two program directors. We partner with the Americorps*VISTA program, and are fortunate to currently have six Americorps*VISTA members working with us.
What areas does GH serve? What if I don’t live in Washtenaw County?
We focus on “underserved” areas of Washtenaw County, with the core of our work here in Ypsilanti. If you are not a Washtenaw County resident, you are still welcome to participate in most of our programs, although we may reserve some programs, such as providing garden resources, for Washtenaw County residents.
What does GH do in the winter?
Lots of stuff! We do all of our program planning for the year; raise funds through grants, donations, sponsorships, and earned revenue; reflect on and evaluate the previous year.
Can GH table at my event or community fair?
Growing Hope strives to raise awareness of healthy food and gardening in our community through public outreach. However, our staff time is limited, especially during the spring and summer. We prioritize outreach to traditionally underserved groups, low-income populations, or audiences that we are not otherwise reaching. Please don’t hesitate to contact us and ask us to be part of your event.
I’m a home gardener. What can GH do for me?
We encourage you to be part of our Growing Partnership Program, which is debuting this year!
What is the Growing Hope Center?
We are fortunate to have many amazing nonprofit organization colleagues in the area. However, we are not affiliated with Project Grow, Hope Clinic, or other similarly named organizations.
Who designed your website?
Many thanks to Linette Lao and Anjanette Bunce for leading our 2010 website redesign. They’ve greatly increased our capacity to keep our website dynamic and up-to-date through introducing Drupal, which Growing Hope staff will be able to use to manage the website.
Volunteer FAQs
Does GH have volunteer opportunities?
Yes, we do. New volunteers should meet with our Volunteer Coordinator for an orientation and to find out what opportunities would meet your needs. It helps us to know what kinds of opportunities you are looking for. You can email our volunteer coordinator at Jeremy (at) growinghope.net; please also let us know how you heard about us and if you need a certain number of hours for any reason. Our volunteer opportunities change seasonally from winter to spring and summer.
What kinds of work are volunteers needed for?
We need volunteers for all kinds of jobs throughout our organization, from gardening to accounting! We strive to fully utilize the amazing range of skills and experiences our volunteers bring. We have ongoing and one-time opportunities, as well as projects you may be able to do independently. You can check out some of our current volunteer job descriptions to find our what’s currently available.
Will volunteer hours be documented?
Yes, and for the purposes of court-mandated hours or other community service that must be verified, we can provide you with documentation. This documentation must be requested with enough advance notice (several days at the least) to get it to the volunteer or agency.
Do I need a background check?
All volunteers working in our youth programs will need to provide us with the information to complete background checks. We need to know your full name, any other names you may have used (such as a maiden name), birth date, race, address, all counties you’ve resided in Michigan, and your Social Security number (which will be kept secure and deleted after the check is complete). Other volunteers may be subject to a background check depending on whether we currently have youth working in all our programs.
Will I be able to do all my hours with GH?
The availability of our volunteer opportunities depends on the time of year and our staff’s capacity to supervise. We may or may not have enough tasks for you to complete the hours that you want. Volunteer supervision and training require staff time, and may not always be possible for every volunteer. Please talk with our Volunteer Coordinator to find out what will work for you.
Does GH have volunteer opportunities for youth under 18?
We do allow children to volunteer accompanied by their parents. If you are a teenager (age 14 or older) and want to volunteer on your own, you will be expected to be supervised as an adult volunteer would. You should come to an orientation with our Volunteer Coordinator and talk about what you’d be interested in doing and get the paperwork for your parents to sign.
What if I can’t attend the volunteer orientation?
All individual volunteers (i.e. not a group doing a workday) must go through our orientation process with the Volunteer Coordinator. If you cannot attend the scheduled time, the Volunteer Coordinator will work with you to find a time that accommodates your schedule.
What if I’ve committed to volunteer and can’t come?
If you have committed to a time to volunteer and cannot come, you must call our office at (734) 786-8401 to notify us.
Does GH have volunteer opportunities for groups?
Yes, we often work with groups of volunteers. If you would like to schedule a workday with us, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator. We may have a limited number of available workday dates scheduled for the season, so please contact us as far in advance as possible. Very large groups (thirty people or larger) require more staff supervision, so we may charge a program fee for large groups.
Will I have to fill out paperwork?
When you meet with our Volunteer Coordinator, you will need to fill out a Volunteer Waiver with our Volunteer Guidelines, as well as a more detailed form about your skills, experience, and interests. All volunteers must abide by our guidelines. If we perform a background check, you will need to fill out that paperwork as well (see above for details).