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 Named by the youth we work alongside, we use urban gardening as a vehicle for youth development and empowerment. The Growing Community’s mission is to help lower income youth & their families to build community food security, healthy youth development and self-reliance skills in community-based food systems, while expanding the network of neighborhood community gardens throughout the near-eastside of Indianapolis.
We have initiated 4 project components to address the need to empower youth to be active participants rather than passive recipients in creating a local food system that will both increase the level of food security in their homes and increase the development of positive personal attributes that will serve them well throughout their lives.
The 4 components are:
Seed to Sale:
1. Urban Crop Production
2. Veggie Sales - Young Market Business Leaders at Farmers’ Markets |
Farm to Fork:
Pizza Garden – growing items used in pizza and learning to make nutritious, customized pizzas |
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Giving Back:
1. Youth Composting & Environmental Stewardship Program, and
2. Service learning and community-building at the 38th & Meridian Street Farmers’ Market.
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Breaking the Cycle:
Incentive programs that encouragement involvement and teach youth that hard work pays off |
Currently, we have three garden lots established and we intend to develop a dozen more. United with our coalition partner, Global Peace Institute, we have 20+ gardens all over Indianapolis.
We invite you into the garden in whatever capacity you’re free to help: volunteer, funding, or spreading the word!
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