ScottsMiracle-Gro Launches Give Back To Gro National Community Garden Outreach
From the West Coast to West Palm Beach, and Bentonville to the Bronx, community gardens will flourish this spring with the help of ScottsMiracle- Gro’s Give Back To Gro community garden outreach initiative.
For more than a decade, the Company has supported the development of community gardens and green spaces throughout the country with its national Give Back To Gro initiative. Along with its philanthropic partners, including Keep America Beautiful, Garden Writers Association, Plant A Row for the Hungry, the National Gardening Association and Franklin Park Conservatory, Scotts will be planting new Give Back To Gro community gardens in cities across the United States this spring.
In addition to providing fresh produce to local residents in need, the gardens help educate the community on the nutritional, environmental and social benefits of gardening.
Our Give Back To Gro outreach focuses on advocacy and support for the creation of edible gardens in underserved areas throughout the country,” said Su Lok, director, Corporate and Community Partnerships. “Interest and participation in community gardening continues to increase and our program is bringing gardens to neighborhoods in many of our key business markets.”
This year’s program has a strong regional focus, with garden installations scheduled in the headquarter cities of each of our regions. Gardens will also be installed in the headquarter cities of several of our retail partners. Showcase community gardens will be planted in Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; West Palm Beach, FL; Bentonville, AR; Atlanta, GA; Bronx, NY; Marysville, OH and Charlotte, NC.
This year’s sites are a mix, including several school-based environmental education gardens to community gardens that will be planted to help low income residents gain access to fresh produce.
More than 49 million adults and children in the U.S. are at risk of hunger, with limited access to healthy vegetables and fruits,” said Carol Ledbetter, program administrator, Plant A Row for the Hungry. “With the support of organizations like ScottsMiracle-Gro, we are able to rally the gardening community to plant an extra pot or seeds, and donate the harvest to an area food pantry.
The 2010 program marks the introduction of the Give Back To Gro Youth Gardener Award. The award recognizes students that have demonstrated leadership in environmental awareness and are using gardening to improve their school or community.