Burns with Big Green team members Ken Elkins (left), Regional Director, and Odie Avery (right), Project Manager
The COVID-19 outbreak has had a devastating impact on food insecurity and nutritious food access throughout the Metro Detroit region. In response, Big Green Detroit has adapted twenty-one school learning gardens into “giving gardens”, which was enabled through a $10,000 grant from Children’s Foundation. Produce from these gardens will be donated to communities in need.
Traditionally, Big Green provides food literacy and garden education for K-12 students through lessons and activities based in school learning gardens. Due to stay-at-home orders during the spring, they were unable to provide normal programming.
Instead, Big Green redirected their efforts into creating activities for biggreenathome.org, which features a variety of gardening lessons and projects that students, teachers, and student caretakers can complete at home. Additionally, the Big Green team planted a variety of vegetables in “giving gardens” throughout Harper Woods, Hazel Park, Southfield, Oak Park, and Ferndale schools. Once harvested from the gardens, they will work with their school communities to distribute the produce.
“The Big Green approach to providing food support to the community during uncertain times is creative, effective and resourceful,” said Lawrence J. Burns, President & CEO at Children’s Foundation. “We are happy to support this program that helps children and families access healthy and nutritious foods essential to their well-being.”
To read more about the project, click here.
