Grow Food, Grow Hope Community Garden Initiative

The Grow Food, Grow Hope Community Garden Initiative is an ambitious and burgeoning new project dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of local food production. Through community outreach and education, Grow Food, Grow Hope seeks to highlight the benefits of backyard and community gardening, and the importance of increasing awareness of our daily food habits.

Sponsored by Wilmington College and funded through the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Grow Food, Grow Hope is an AmeriCorps* VISTA project carried out by nine VISTA volunteers and a number of integral partners in and around our community.

The Grow Food, Grow Hope Community Garden is located on Linton Drive, directly across from the Pyle Center on the Wilmington College campus. During the spring and summer growing season, local families and volunteers meet every Tuesday to pick fresh produce and learn ways to best prepare the day's harvest.

In addition to the community garden, the Grow Food, Grow Hope VISTA volunteers work with community partners in coordinating the Clinton County Farmers Market, the Buy Local First Clinton County campaign, a Community Supported Agriculture program, the Wilmington College farm where produce is grown and donated to area food banks, and other city-wide initiatives. It's no coincidence that "community" is used in almost every sentence: a commitment to local service defines the Grow Food, Grow Hope project as a whole.

For volunteer opportunities, contact Tony Staubach at (937) 382-6661 ext. 693, or stop by the Center for Service and Civic Engagement.

Check out Grow Food, Grow Hope online at www.growfoodgrowhope.com , our blog at growfoodgrowhope.blogspot.com, or on Facebook and Twitter.