Grow Food, Grow Hope is an AmeriCorps* VISTA project carried out by five VISTA volunteers and a number of integral community partners. Our primary focus areas include community and backyard gardening, food access, nutrition education, farmers markets, youth and community outreach and assisting the local economy through the "Buy Local" campaign.
As an organization, we facilitate a community garden on the W.C. campus, where families and volunteers tend to 40 plots of kitchen-ready herbs and vegetables. We have organized and created a second community garden on Mulberry Street for renters in that area and begun a backyard Garden program where 10 families were chosen to receive garden beds at their own homes and are taught the basics of gardening through visits by our staff. We maintain the Demonstration Garden at J.W. Denver Williams Memorial Park, the Verizon Beds across from Sugartree Ministries and facilitated the creation of a small garden at the Clinton County Homeless Shelter where tenants tend the beds with weekly visits from our program. We work with the Chair of Wilmington College Agricultural Department, Monte Anderson, and Wilmington College Farm Manager, Randy Gerber, who have devoted 44,000 square feet on the Wilmington College farm for bulk vegetable production and distribution to local food pantries. We are partnering with the city of Wilmington and the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission in a Buy Local First campaign, and the Clinton County Farmer's Market, as well as local growers and farmers to create the Clinton County Fresh Network. Although many these initiatives were begun before Grow Food, Grow Hope opened its doors, we hope to offer extra outreach capacity both around the community and specifically on the Wilmington College campus.
As AmeriCorps* VISTA volunteers, our service to Wilmington and the people in this community is our primary concern. We hope to engage, empower and interact with local citizens, and we invite you to join us in our efforts to reduce the effects of poverty.
"By growing a little food, we can sow a lot of hope."
For more information call (937) 382-6661 ext. 321, or email growfoodgrowhope@wilmington.edu
Our Grantors:
Clinton County Fresh Network
Wilmington College Agricultural Department
Wilmington College Sodexo
Mr. & Mrs. Alan Frankel
Mr. Ernie Minor
Mr. John Reid
Mr. & Mrs. Hiram Woods
Our Partners:
Wilmington College Agricultural Department
Wilmington College Sodexo
Our Donors:
We would like to thank all of our donors, especially those below, who have gone above and beyond for the mission of our program by donating not only monetarily but also in-kind assistance.
Harvest Level Donors
$500 and above
Baker Concrete Construction Inc.
Ms. Amy BuratiMr. & Mrs. Alan Frankel
Gary Ibsen of TomatoFest
Mr. Eric Kline
Mr. Charles LehmanMr. Ernie Minor
Mr. & Mrs. Edward Silva
Timbertech
Ms. Janet WilliamsHeirloom Level Donors
$250 and above
Mr. Frank Glazier
Mr. Joel Hoffman
McCarty Gardens
Ms. Jania SommersMr. John Reid
Seed Level Donors
$100 and above
Ace Hardware | Ms. Erin Jones |
Ms. Margaret Alderfer | Mr. & Mrs. Edwin Kuehn |
Mr & Mrs. Philip Bayless | Mr. & Mrs. Robert Littlejohn |
Campus Friends Meeting Church | National Bank & Trust of Wilmington |
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Carey | The Monsanto Fund |
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Chason | Mr. & Mrs. Vaughn McGarvey |
Mr. Roy Chew | Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Neville |
Clinton County Live | Ms. Dana North |
Mr. & Mrs. John Cooper | Oleg's Tavern in Cincinnati |
Douglas and Sarah Dicken | Mr. Randy Riley |
Mr. &Mrs. James Faris | Mr. & Mrs. Edward Sherman |
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Gara | Mr. & Mrs. Donald Smith |
The General Denver Hotel | Mr. & Mrs. Gary Stanich |
Ms. Nancy Gustin | Mr. & Mrs. David Raizk |
Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Hilese | Mr. & Mrs. Roy Joe Stuckey |
We again want to thank all of our generous donors on and off this list. With your past and future support we will continue our work of creating fresh food access for everyone.
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