If you love to dig in the garden and eat local fruits and veggies, you will love this week’s much anticipated Spotlight Charity: GRuB! www.goodgrub.org

GRuB, which stands for Garden-Raised Bounty, has been contributing to the community since 2001 when Richard Doss and Blue Peetz teamed up to help the disadvantaged through their mutual passion for food and community development. GRuB’s mission is to “inspire positive personal and community change by bringing people together around food and agriculture.” To make their mission a reality, GRuB operates through two major arms: The Kitchen Garden Project and a series of Youth Development Programs.

The Kitchen Garden Project (KGP) focuses on building free backyard and community gardens for low-income people in Thurston and Mason counties. The KGP doesn’t stop there – they work with volunteers to provide education and resources that empower low-income recipients to maintain their gardens and increase their self-sufficiency. Since its founding, the KGP has constructed over 2,200 gardens! To learn more about the KGP, visit www.goodgrub.org/kgp.

GRuB has developed both education and employment programs for youth. Their Cultivating Youth Employment and Drop-Out Prevention Program provides agriculture-based employment for at-risk teens who are responsible for managing GRuB’s farm and for growing vegetables for the food bank, the market, and for their own families. The Cultivating Youth Education Program offers hands-on field trips to the GRuB farm where school children learn about agriculture, teamwork, and their community. If you are interested in learning more about GRuB’s education and employment programs, go to www.goodgrub.org/youth.

We contacted GRuB and asked them some pertinent questions. According to the Combined Fund Drive, GRuB’s administrative costs are very low—only around 0.20%—and we learned that nearly all donor money goes directly to their programs.

GRuB also informed us that they have big goals for the future and have recently developed a long-term plan for expanding their projects and increasing their impact in the community. These new projects include evolving the Kitchen Garden Project, expanding community leadership opportunities, becoming a more active influence in the local, regional, and national food movement, and implementing a new GRuB in the Schools Initiative that will provide disengaged students with alternative learning opportunities within their schools.

GRuB has helped to change countless lives, and, with volunteers and donors, will continue to facilitate positive change in our local communities and beyond for years to come. We encourage anyone who feels inspired by their mission to take action and get involved. For those of you who are already enthused, read on to learn about upcoming events and exciting opportunities to get GRuBby!

Volunteer:

During the growing season, the GRuB Farm has two days a week for drop-in volunteers: Wednesdays from 3-6pm and Sundays from 1-4pm. Fill out a volunteer interest form or learn more about volunteering at www.goodgrub.org/volunteer.

Donate:

If you are a public employee and wish to contribute directly, sign up for payroll deduction at www.cfd.wa.gov and look up GRuB by their CFD #: 1478552. If you work in the private sector, click on the following link to learn about donation options: www.goodgrub.org/donate.

Eat:

Buy fresh produce from GRuB’s Youth Crew at their market stand every Wednesday at the GRuB Farmhouse near the intersection of Elliott Ave. & Division from 4-7pm from June 22 – September 28.

Attend:

Soirée at the Schmidt – a fabulous event on September 10th, 2011, which will include food, fun, a beer and wine garden, and a live and silent auction! For more information and to reserve your tickets online, visit www.goodgrub.org/soiree, call (360) 753-5522, or e-mail [email protected]. RSVP by August 31st!