Photos courtesy of The Growing Experience.
This Saturday, Boeing employees will roll up their sleeves and dirty their hands to provide much-needed assistance at The Growing Experience (TGE) Urban Farm in Long Beach, for the third consecutive year, as part of the company’s annual Global Month of Service Initiative.
Volunteers of all ages will work alongside TGE staff and the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (HACoLA), which oversees the farm, to help with the greenhouse’s vertical plant towers, community food forest, community garden maintenance and orchard harvesting. Volunteers will also work in the community kitchen to preserve vegetables and make fig jam.
TGE is a seven-acre urban farm located within the Carmelitos public housing development. The farm’s goal is to support and foster a healthy community by offering affordable, fresh, locally-grown organic food. The local farm addresses the issue of food and economic inequity in low-income neighborhoods by combining services and programs to help residents live healthier lives. TGE serves the residents of Carmelitos as well as the greater Los Angeles and Long Beach areas.
According to the release, it is the only known program operating a facility of its size at a public housing community in an urban setting, complete with a sustainable farm, community-supported agriculture program, job and skills training and educational components.
HACoLA Executive Director, Sean Rogan said in a press statement, “With limited staff and funding, TGE relies on the support of community partners who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves to help out.”
He added that the hard work of volunteers to beautify the farm over the past three years has been welcomed and appreciated. On Saturday, volunteers will focus on projects that have to do with environmental sustainability, conserving natural resources and building awareness.
“For nearly 100 years, Boeing has demonstrated its commitment to communities around the globe through its Global Month of Service,” said Maria Passaseo, Boeing employee community engagement lead in California, in an earlier statement.
Through its Global Corporate Citizen Initiative, a total of $118 million from Boeing and its employees went toward improving communities across the globe last year. Improving access to globally competitive learning and skills development, fostering creativity, sustaining the environment and improving civic engagement worldwide are the initiatives spurring the program and its dedicated volunteers.
“It serves as an opportunity to give, inspire and volunteer to make a positive impact by working with partners like The Growing Experience to strengthen our communities, our environment, and contribute to long-term sustainable growth,” said Passaseo.
For more information about HACoLA’s The Growing Experience, click here.