Our basket clearance sale at Old Home Days was very successful, and we enjoyed talking to all who stopped by. With the proceeds, we will continue work on the irrigation project for the Simenya garden which was started in June!

We are visiting Simenya this week and today we visited the school. We talked with a couple of classes and then with some teachers regarding the computers. We are currently purchasing items to install an irrigation system for the school garden as it is so dry here part of the year.

The rain held off and the 3rd graders learned “SPEED GARDENING” this year. Approximately 44 3rd graders had only about 25 minutes to get the entire 9 vegetable plots planted! Most did a good job, and a big thank you goes out to our extra volunteers for the day – Erin and Will from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab.
Check out our slideshow 2011.

December 7, 2010 – Growing Hope Together has received an award of $1500 from the United Way of Tompkins County Youth and Philanthropy program. GHT was one of 9 organizations to receive a grant. We want to thank the youth involved for all of their hard work and the Park Foundation, which has generously supported this program since its inception in 2000 with over 165 youth participating to date. Youth and Philanthropy is a leadership initiative designed to develop skills in the areas of problem-solving, community assessment, financial management, program evaluation, fund distribution, team building and communications. GHT plans to use part of the grant money to purchase an indoor growing system so that the Newfield 3rd graders can start some of their own healthy transplants right in the classroom.

Thank you to all who came to talk to us at the Ithaca Alternative Gift Fair and a special thanks to those who donated to our cause! For a project like ours, even a small donation can help in a big way. If anyone is still interested in donating through the Ithaca Alternative Gift Fair, go to their site at http://www.ithacaaltgiftfair.org/2010buttons/GrowingHopeTogether2010.htm . WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT!

Check out the Newfield News for an excellent article about our project.

Growing Hope Together received a grant from the Helen Thomas Howland Foundation as administered by the Community Foundation of Tompkins County to pay for supplies and help to finance more summer programs at the Emery Memorial Kids Garden in Newfield.

Thank you to all of the volunteers who showed up this morning to help the 3rd graders plant the garden. It was a beautiful sunny day, and everyone pitched in and had fun. While half the class was in the garden, the other half was in the classroom, watching a slideshow about all the different animals in Kenya, (including photos of gorillas in Rwanda.)

See photos of Planting Day

The garden was planted, the crops came out quite well and weeding has already taken place. Mr Randiga has already started working on the fence. He has also got banana suckers ready for planting . The farm is very beautiful. -Betty

We returned to the US on Monday, March 29, with many new baskets. The new designs are on display at Stella’s Barn, along with Growing Hope tshirts. Show your support by purchasing a basket or a tshirt.

View 2010 Simenya Photos