SPECIAL PROJECTS
School Gardens Project
Our partnership with Gardens for Humanity is critical to our school outreach program targeted at bringing school gardens, coupled with an age-appropriate integrative gardening curriculum, to schools in the Verde Valley.
West Sedona School, an elementary and middle school in Sedona, has been selected this year as a pilot program which is now underway for the Fall 2010 semester. Principal Lisa Hirsch has approved this integrative, holistic curriculum, bringing gardening/agroscience into every subject area. This strategy offers a new learning laboratory for students by integrating book learning with hands-on learning in the garden.
While incorporating state and federal learning standards, this strategy offers a practical approach to education that cultivates self-confidence, self-sufficiency and teamwork in students.
A team from Gardens for Humanity has worked diligently with Lisa Hirsch and a team of teachers at West Sedona School to create this curriculum, giving teachers buy-in, motivation and inspiration for activating this teaching model. In addition, we are collaborating with the Yavapai County Master Gardeners Association to ensure that each school garden is supervised by a certified master gardener.
Other Partnering Projects
In implementing the Voice of the Hungry Action Plan the Verde Food Council is developing eleven projects with agency partners:
Start a volunteer recruitment and training program through Yavapai College’s OLLI program for emergency food providers;
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Measure tonnage of food delivered by St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance to Bread of Life Mission and its distribution to local providers;
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Increase tonnage of food supplied by St. Mary’s;
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Assist Lighthouse Mission in obtaining facilities in Cornville for the Cornville Food Bank;
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Assist food providers in Sedona in exploring options for sharing facilities and services;
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Promote enrollment of food volunteers in the Feeding the Generations TimeBank;
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Expand delivery of food to homebound persons throughout the region through Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition;
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Expand Backpacks for Kids weekend meals program to other school districts;
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Expand school gardening curriculum to other school districts;
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Provide organic food gardening and nutritious cooking classes for hungry persons by utilizing master gardeners and certified cooks; and
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Expand self-sufficiency training for hungry persons by utilizing Catholic Charities Project HOPE program.
If you are interested in more information on any of these programs, wish to volunteer your services or make a donation to support any of the above programs, please contact us.
 Backpacks For Kids
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A Verde Valley-wide program;
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A collaborative effort of schools in the Beaver Creek School District, Cottonwood -- Oak Creek School District, and the Clarkdale-Jerome School District, working with the Central Arizona Food Bank;
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A response to an identified need – children lacking adequate food during weekends.
Participating youth pick up a backpack filled with food each Friday and return it empty the following week. Each backpack will contain enough food for the children in their family and will cost $2.00 per child. Estimated cost for the current school year is $10,000. This will provide backpacks and food for 150 youth for 30 weeks and will serve a total of 450 youth.
To give a gift, please use the PayPal donate bottom below.
Note: When you review your donation at PayPal, you will have an opportunity to designate a program of your choice if you wish. Look for the "Add special instructions to the seller" link right above the Payment Method.
Or, send your donation to the Verde Food Council Fiscal Agent:
Cornucopia Community Advocates
95 Spotted Fawn Court
Sedona, AZ 86351
(100% of your gift will go directly to BACKPACKS FOR KIDS)
THANKS FOR CARING AND SHARING
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