The Unity Gardens has grown so much with so little! In less than 2 years we have fed thousands, educated hundreds, collaborated with many schools, colleges, day cares, non-profit organizations, prison populations, shelters for homeless, health care organizations, governmental entities, and helped create a community wide initiative that everyone can benefit from.

The Unity Gardens is a local initiative that provides not only healthy food for all in our community, but also ensures everyone has equal opportunity to protect their own health through growing & consuming healthy food. Most simply, through supporting over 40 open community gardens, we assure free access to healthy food, usually a commodity accessible only to those who can afford it!

Unity Gardens does not stop there. We also provide increased opportunities for those most vulnerable in our county through creating shared venues for people to gather, harvest, work and share in the gardens. As people are working and harvesting side by side, they get to know and understand each other’s strengths, reducing fear of differences and allowing more equal access to opportunities. Equally importantly, we offer people opportunities to be positive change agents in the community. Many we work with have gained self pride and confidence in themselves through their work in the gardens! Throughout the nation it has been shown that community gardens revitalize neighborhoods, reduce crime, and create increased awareness of healthy food, but Unity Gardens does more!

We also host year round educational programs, in collaboration with schools, on site at gardens, and in community centers! Everyone is welcome to learn about growing gardens, nutrition, and cooking! Our educational programs include great variety of topics and people. From our early child programs, to our school gardens, and our church gardens, we are sure to enjoy a wide variety of participants!

Finally, we help others connect with issues ranging from environmental sustainability to social justice and global hunger! The Unity Gardens is a holistic interventional strategy designed to improve the physical, social, and economic health of our entire community! As our motto states; ”We are Growing More than Vegetables Here!”

Please see our blog www.theunitygardens.blogspot.com and our Facebook page to see photos, read stories and learn more about the amazing ways our community has come together and grown in Unity!