Food For Thought Continues to “Grow” in DeFuniak Springs
Corvias Sponsors Garden Installation at Walton Academy
More than a quarter of Walton County’s children are living in poverty. Local nonprofit, Food For Thought Outreach, has spent the last six years battling food insecurity and child hunger in Walton County, and has been working in Okaloosa County for the last four years.
“Food For Thought is growing each year in the number of students and families served. We are launching these school gardens, along with a garden at our Destin Pantry to find new paths to fight food insecurity,” says Tiffanie Nelson, Founder and Executive Director of Food For Thought Outreach. “The Garden Initiative along with our Full Circle Kitchen that is currently being built in our Santa Rosa Beach Pantry, are giving these students new resources to learn about food, nutrition, and providing skills to serve them now and in the future. Students will gain an increased sense of purpose as they witness their efforts produce tangible results in the garden. Access to fresh foods continues to be the number one request from the students we serve and this is a step toward sustainable access to such foods.”
On November 15th, Corvias Military Living sponsored the first Food For Thought school garden at Walton Academy Charter School. The team at Corvias has been a vocal and active community partner for many projects and when the idea of the school garden came to them, they just couldn’t pass it up.
“One of the core values for all Corvias employees is giving back to the communities in which we live and serve. Through Corvias Foundation, our local team is given the opportunity to adopt a charity and support them in their initiative. It seemed like a natural fit to support Food for Thought and Walton Academy through this great program,” says Kathryn Hendrickson, Corvias Field Administrator.
Over 51% of all K-12 students in the United States qualify for Free and Reduced Meals and 86% of the students at Walton Academy are on the Free and Reduced Meal Plan. For Nelson, more has to be done to fight these growing rates. The intention for the on-campus garden to not simply provide food for Food For Thought programs, but to provide the students an opportunity to apply their education in the garden.
“Walton Academy is excited about having the opportunity to encourage our students through lessons that only a garden can teach,” says David Schmidt, Director of Walton Academy Charter School. “This garden means our students from the beginning will participate in what it takes to prepare the grounds for the growth and acknowledge the process until harvest.”
Schmidt adds, “First, We must work to tend to any bad dirt, weeds and roots before we can even think about growth. Second, each of us has to plant a seed in hopes to receive produce and replant some of what we produced so we can continue to grow. Third, nourish and water the seed. The seeds of intentions are nourished with the water of affirmative thoughts. Our students have to believe in themselves and their future, regardless of their past. Fourth, weeding is a fact of gardening to remove unwanted plants that crowd out and remove good nutrients. Finally, harvest and enjoy! Know that the creation is realized. Notice any aspect of the desired reality taking shape, no matter how small. Gratitude and appreciation continue the process of creation to blossom into new directions, events, and opportunities.”
This marks a new chapter for the growing organization with hopes to continue the Garden Initiative in more schools in the near future. Food For Thought continues to thrive thanks to generous donations and dedicated volunteers.
If you would like to donate time or funds, please email info@fftfl.org or visit www.fftfl.org
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