Impact

Growing Hope Program Impact in 2010

• We’re helping families be more self‐reliant in struggling times. In 2010, we installed Rasied Bed vegetable gardens with 38 low‐ and no‐income families in the Ypsilanti area. 66% of these families had children, 25% had a senior head of household, and 40% of families received food stamps, and 42% utilize food banks.
• In 2010, 92 Individuals and 14 group gardens received support through our new Growing Gardens Membership, accessing tools, resources, expertise, and seeds to help them grow! Over 750 packets of seeds with given out to help mostly low‐income families grow healthy food.
• Our Garden Leadership Training provided over 100 people and 24 group gardens with information and inspiration to organize, recruit, and grow thriving community, school, and congregational gardens. We also added two mini‐courses in the spring to address a growing stream of inquiries.
• Our Seed Starting Squad overcomes barriers to getting growing in early spring by leveraging our community to grow seedlings for GH and themselves at home. Eighty households of all income levels grew over 6000 seedlings for Growing Hope to plant, sell, and donate, plus and another several thousands for their own gardens.
• We harvested 2246 lbs of fresh, healthy food at the Growing Hope Center‐ 1283 lbs from our solar hoophouse and 963 lbs from field. We grew 42 types of fruits and vegetables in 2010, and donated 222 lbs of food donated to Home of New Vision and SOS Community Services.

• In 2010, there were $21,406 in sales using food stamps and other low‐income non‐cash programs, accounting for 22% of total sales. Food stamp sales grew 54% over 2009.
• Our Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers’ Market included 60 vendors during the 2010 season, providing an affordable marketplace for their new and growing businesses in food, agriculture, and crafts.
• The DYFM continues to contribute to the vitality in downtown Ypsilanti—On Tuesday afternoons between May and October, 14,500 customers visited the market. Half of these shoppers also frequented other downtown establishments when they came to the market, bringing more revenue downtown.
• Customers spent $96,000 with our vendors over the season, contributing to our local agricultural economy. 
• Our advocacy for the successful passing of the Cottage Food Industry Law allows our vendors to legally supplement and sustain
• Income to grow their food‐based businesses, overcoming a barrier to entry for entrepreneurs. Governor Granholm signing the bill into law at the Growing Hope Center in July was a high point of the summer.

• Our Seed2Plate after‐school program engaged 70 Ypsi middle‐schoolers in weekly cooking, nutrition, and gardening lessons. Students also visited the farmers’ market and Growing Hope Center, and brought home free vegetable seedlings and planted them at home with their parents.
• Four youth interns were employed in the summer, increasing leadership skills as peer educators for garden & cooking activities with younger youth.
• In partnership with the New West Willow Neighborhood Association, our garden‐based summer camp brought 59 youth participants ages 4‐12 years into the garden to learn and grow. Kids reported 157 times that they tried a new fruit or vegetable for the first time, and 95% of kids that they eat more vegetables after being in the program!

• In 2010, we had a 48% increase in number of volunteers over 2009, 24% increase in volunteer hours over 2009.
• Approximately 415 unique volunteers completed just over 2700 hours of service. Additionally, Americorps*VISTA members contributed an additional 15,000 hours of full‐time volunteer service.
• Tour de Fresh welcomed 150 participants from the region to see the good that’s growing in home, university, youth, co‐op and community gardens in Ypsilanti. Among the participants in our annual bike & bus tour, 21% came to Ypsi for the first time.
• Between 20‐35 people attended each monthly Growing Hope Community Potluck, getting to know their neighbors as they shared around community dinner tables.

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GH 2010 Year-End Program Impact