Founders Fund Finalists 2020: A Brief Synopsis*
Gale Clarry
The Founders Fund Committee of the GCA provides monetary grants to projects in local communities proposed by member clubs. Each member club has the privilege of voting for their finalist choice. The winning project is announced at the GCA annual meeting. The Founders Fund Committee is pleased to present this year’s finalists to you and to your club members! The first Founders Fund Grant was granted in 1936 in the amount of $700. We’ve come a long way since then as today the winning proposal receives $30,000 with $10,000 granted to each of the two runners up.
You will have an opportunity to vote at the February 25th SLGC Member meeting, or click here to vote online.
Permaculture Sanctuary: Promoting Trauma Resilience through Regenerative Gardening
Proposed by: Twin City Garden Club, Zone VII
Seconded by: The French Broad River Garden Club Foundation, Zone VII
Children who have experienced trauma deserve a sanctuary. TCGC’s budding permaculture food and sensory garden, co–created with Crossnore’s Miracle Grounds Farm, serves 450 children daily, including 45 resident foster children. Crossnore’s environment supports cutting-edge techniques to gain power over pain through education, art and soil therapy--restoring souls through soil. The Founders Fund grant would elevate our flourishing garden to a far-reaching food forest.
Growing It Green in Paterson, NJ - Public School Rain Garden Project
Proposed by: Garden Club of Madison, Zone IV
Seconded by: Garden Club of Morristown, Zone IV
GC of Madison is sponsoring GSWA and Rutgers University to expand their transformational school rain garden program, established in Paterson, NJ in 2017. Through GSWA’s hands-on environmental education programming, students are re-connected to nature through the planning, design and building of rain gardens as a solution to local storm water runoff and water pollution issues. As students learn about the need to protect the lands and waters around them, a mindset of stewardship is created.
CheerMobile: What Cheer Flower Farm on the Rhode
Proposed by: Perennial Planters Garden Club, Zone II
Seconded by: Newport Garden Club, Zone II
Flowers matter. What Cheer Flower Farm has turned abandoned factory land into an urban oasis, organically growing and giving away 30,000 flowers per year to hospitals, shelters, recovery centers, at-risk youth and seniors. The CheerMobile van will carry our educational programming including flower arranging and art classes to those who can’t travel to us. Plus, we’ll gather stems donated by florists, weddings and events, so we can give away thousands more flowers year-round.