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Center for Growing People |
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Center for Growing People |
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Gardeners in Community
Development Center for Growing
People A
community gardening training project of the Dallas Urban Gardening Initiative (DUG
IN) in
partnership with Heifer International This
center, located on the grounds of Our Saviour Episcopal Church encompasses indoor classroom space, an
outdoor teaching pavilion/water catchment structure, fruit orchards and
vineyard, composting center, individual plots for families (Plot Against
Hunger), and a community operated farm for food pantry production (Just
Greens). This
project began in 2003 with an initial group of 20 plots for families and a
small pantry plot. Two years
later, from 2005, the major support for this training center came through
a multi-year partnership with Heifer International. With
Heifer’s support the fruit orchard and vineyard were established,
regular workshops and trainings have benefited hundreds of people, animals
including earthworms (vermiculture), bees, and chickens were added to
compliment gardening activities, and donations of fresh produce to the
needy have exceeded 7,000 pounds per year. The
Center for Growing People is the only facility of its kind in North Texas,
and currently GICD is able to provide training through hands-on and
volunteer opportunities to other neighborhoods, churches, organizations
and individuals that need a model to follow, want organizational training,
and are in the process of starting and learning to maintain sustainable
community food projects. Most of
GICD’s work is done by volunteers. These
wonderful people help tend the grounds, they plant, weed and harvest the
pantry plots, they help teach those who come to the center, and many serve
by going out and helping when other neighborhoods begin projects.
This is a labor or love for gardening, for the earth, and for each
other. Thank you
volunteers! Other
supporting businesses and foundations include:
Starbucks
Thank you
supporters!
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