Grow Your Own Way Program Benefit


Join fellow community members in bringing long-term change to the nutritional health of our county by supporting the Foodbank’s Grow Your Own Way Program. On March 9^th, the Foodbank launched a three month campaign to raise $10,000 for the Grow Your Own Way Program. Hosted by the Trinity Episcopal Church, the evening program included music, unique raffle items, and regional foods prepared by local chefs Michele Molony & Rose; Kim Schiffer and Roberto Garcia. The keynote speaker will be Rachel Kaplan, author of Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living. From the event, the Foodbank raised $1,500 towards the $10,000 goal which will end on June 1, 2012.  GIVE NOW to support the development and implementation of the program.

The Grow Your Own Way Program benefit is the beginning of a three month fundraising campaign with a goal of $10,000 by June 15th.

About the Grow Your Own Way Program
What joins all parts of a strong community together is the growing and eating of fresh local food. The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County's new Grow Your Own Way Program seeks to empower those it serves by sharing food growing knowledge and skills. From container gardens for apartment dwellers, to developing new community garden sites, to working with local farmers to develop food growing cooperatives, the program trains Foodbank recipients to grow some of their own food and gain a new perspective of their role in the food system.

The Foodbank is a non-profit organization that works to eliminate hunger by distributing food, education, and other resources through its own programs and to a network of 290 member non-profit agencies and programs in our county. In 2011, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County distributed more than 11 million pounds of food, of which fully half was fresh produce. This served over 102,000 unduplicated people from Carpinteria to Santa Maria, an amazing 1 in 4 people in our county. Recently the Foodbank has moved to the forefront with a range of innovative and nationally recognized programs such as the Kid's Farmers Market program, Backyard Bounty gleaning program, the Brown Bag program for seniors, the Picnic in the Park and Healthy School Pantry Programs for kids, and a Mobile Pantry program serving rural areas. The new Grow Your Own Way Program continues with the strong intention of bringing long-term change to the nutritional health of the county.