In Martin County, Florida, two non-profit organizations have come together to plant seeds of hope through community gardening. Recently, the House of Hope charity for the homeless and people with addictions and other mental health issues partnered with Project L.I.F.T. an organization that helps at-risk teens, to grow community gardens in four small towns across the county.
The teens in Project L.I. F.T.'s program—many of them aged 14-19 who are also struggling with addictions, managing mental health or legal issues—visit the gardens every day after school where they grow seeds, maintain and water plants, harvest the produce and learn to create their own meals. They take some of the produce home to their families but most is sent to House of Hope for the homeless community.
Beyond the need for food, Project L.I.F.T. hoped the gardens would provide an educational opportunity for their teens.
"We're trying to teach kids nutrition to deal with the health problems—diabetes and obesity—in our community, but when we get into the garden, now they're doing hands-on stuff that really connects." Bob Zaccheo, the executive director of Project L.I.F.T. tells Guideposts. org.
The gardens also offer the teens professional skills that can help them find work later in their largely rural county. Beyond skills, this project has helped the teens find confidence and hope for their futures.
So far, the four gardens around Martin County have generated 100 pounds of produce for House of Hope and the community at large. Although the amount of food can't meet the greater need of the area, the program is an opportunity to teach kids that the importance of giving back is just as valuable as the food they're harvesting.
"You see a major shift in the thinking of these kids," Zaccheo says. "You see them giving. The kids are learning to give at a bigger level than they've ever been able to give at before."
The four gardens were built only to provide an educational opportunity for at-risk teens.
