Columbus, Ohio (February 10, 2014)—Despite the recent wintry temperatures, central Ohio community gardeners are looking ahead to warmer weather thanks to support from the ScottsMiracle-Gro Community Garden Academy Fund of The Columbus Foundation. Twenty-four grants totaling nearly $30,000 were recently awarded from the fund; the company also provided in-kind support to seven additional projects.
“In a few short months, community gardens will be in full bloom around central Ohio,” said Su Lok, Director of Corporate and Community Partnerships, ScottsMiracle-Gro. “These gardens will help bring neighborhoods together, while improving the overall health and well being of our communities.”
Established in 2002 to support a wide range of garden and green space projects in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, the ScottsMiracle-Gro Community Garden Academy Fund has helped create and sustain gardens in communities across central Ohio, and to date, more than 100 local organizations have benefited from the grant program.
Working in partnership with Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, ScottsMiracle-Gro and The Columbus Foundation also provide educational support to gardeners as part of the grant. Garden groups are required to participate in a four-part educational workshop in conjunction with Franklin Park Conservatory’s Growing to Green program.
“Thanks to The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, more and more central Ohio residents each year have the opportunity to participate in community gardening efforts that positively impact our environment and community health,” said Columbus Foundation President and CEO Douglas F. Kridler.
2014 ScottsMiracle-Gro Community Garden Academy Grant Recipients
A Living Community Church Inc. (Makarios Community)—$2,500 to support the Dakota Block Watch & Improvement Association’s work at “The Dakota Garden & Gathering Spot”, 30-34 Dakota Avenue, 43222.
After-School All-Stars Ohio—$1,500 to support the work of After-School All-Stars Ohio program youth participants in their work to build a new garden at Columbus Collegiate Academy – West Campus Garden, 300 South Dana Avenue, 43223.
Amethyst, Inc.—$500 to support the Amethyst Recovery Garden located in the Jefferson Center for Arts and Learning at 37 Jefferson Avenue, 43215. Gardeners are women in recovery from substance use disorders and trauma.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Ohio—ScottsMiracle-Gro products will support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus’ work at Milo-Grogan’s Garden, 1012 Cleveland Avenue, 43201.
Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center—$1,500 to support The Gift Garden at the Westside Boys and Girls Club at 115 S. Gift Street, 43215, ensuring easy accessibility for people of all ages and needs, including wheel-chair users and the developmentally disabled; $3,000 to support Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center’s work by installing a water spigot and connecting to city water at the MidGarden, 619 Midgard Rd, 43202.
Columbus Cypress Wesleyan Church—$105 to support Cypress Wesleyan Community Garden, Franklin County Master Gardeners work at 377 Alton Darby Creek Road, 43119.
Columbus Jewish Federation—$1,000 to help the Jewish Federation’s environmental branch, Urban Roots, create a garden at Camp Hoover, 4290 East Walnut Street, 43081, to teach children about sustainability and environmentalism through a hands-on curriculum.
Community Properties Impact Corporation—$1,000 to support Feed Olde Towne East’s work at Champion Community Garden, 490 S. Champion Avenue, 43205.
COSI—$2,000 to support George Washington Carver Food Research Institute (GWCRFRI) work at The Carver Garden at COSI, 333 Broad St., 43215. Founded by the CEO of Coalescence LLC, part of GWCFRI’s mission is to establish an educational garden that will serve as a growing space for students and as a teaching space for educators from GWCFRI.
Emmanuel Memorial Church—ScottsMiracle-Gro products will support Emmanuel Memorial Church Cin-Thy-Care Community Garden, 2735 Bulen Avenue, 43207.
Four Seasons City Farm—ScottsMiracle-Gro products will support the Growing Hearts & Hands Community Gardens’ work at 1536 Oak Street, 43205.
Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities—$1,000 to support the Early Childhood Learning Community’s work at The Northwest Community Garden, 4141 Rudy Road, 43214. The Garden will consist of a large tiered growing station to support raising micro- and salad greens indoors during the winter months. This project will impact over 200 children and their families in multiple areas of education around sustainable winter crop production, including soil preparation, seeding, watering, harvesting, cooking, eating and composting.
Franklinton Board of Trade—$2,000 to support the development of “The Growing Place”, an outdoor learning classroom that is to be located on a vacant lot at 1003 West Town Street, 43222, in historic Franklinton.
Greater Linden Development Corporation—ScottsMiracle-Gro products will support Linden Garden Association’s work at Our Community Garden Too and Linden Village Green Space, 2222-2226 Cleveland Avenue, 43211, and the work of the Linden Garden Association in partnership with Fostering In The Community at the Firemen’s Flower Garden, 1567/1569 Cleveland Avenue, 43211.
Greensview Elementary School PTO—$750 to support the Greensview PTO’s work at Buckeye PRIDE Garden, Greensview Elementary School, 4301 Greensview Drive, 43220.
Healthy New Albany, Inc.—$1,000 to support the New Albany Community Garden Associations work at both the New Albany Community Garden located at 20 Village Hall Road, 43054, and the Gardens at the Village Coalition Against Hunger located at 4481 E. Dublin-Granville Road, 43081.
Hilltop Christian Community Development Corporation—$1,000 to revitalize the Highland Youth Garden’s herb garden and raised beds to provide more opportunities for educating children and to extend the growing season and opportunities for learning by incorporating additional covered rows and a cold frame. The Highland Youth Garden is located at 67 South Highland Avenue, 43223.
LifeCare Alliance—ScottsMiracle-Gro products will support LifeCare Alliance’s work at the agency’s community garden, 670 Harmon Avenue, 43223.
Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services Foundation—$500 to support Westminster-Thurber Community’s Pathway Home garden at 717 Neil Avenue, 43215.
Ohio State University Foundation—$500 to support Moms2B’s work at The Godman Guild Community Garden, 303 E. 6th Ave., 43201, and $2,500 to support the CarePoint East, Growing Wellness Community Garden, 543 Taylor Avenue, 43203.
Reynoldsburg City Schools—$1,500 to support the Waggoner Road Campus Gardens of Reynoldsburg City Schools at Waggoner Road Gardens, 340 South Waggoner Road, 43068.
Saint John’s Episcopal Church—$1,500 to enhance the season extension work of Franklinton Gardens by building adequate physical infrastructure (greenhouse and cold frames) to grow early season produce seedlings at the garden at 909 W. Rich Street, 43222.
St. Stephen’s Community House (SSCH)—$1,500 to support the SSCH Living Well In Linden Community Garden at 1500 E. 17th Ave., 43219.
St. Vincent de Paul Bishop Griffin Center—$500 to support the garden group’s work at St. Vincent de Paul Family Life Garden at 2875 E. Livingston Ave, 43209.
Upper Arlington Lutheran Church (UALC)—$1,000 to support the UALC Community Garden at 3500 Mill Run Dr., 43026.
Victory Assembly, Inc.—$250 to support Three Rivers Civic Association’s five beauty gardens—two at Three Rivers Drive & Williams Road, two at Hendron & Williams Roads and one at Elk Run Park.
YMCA of Central Ohio—ScottsMiracle-Gro products will support the Hoover YMCA Learning Garden located at 1570 Rohr Rd., 43137.
YWCA of Columbus—$1,000 to support the Growing Home Community Garden at the YWCA Family Center, 900 Harvey Ct., 43219, which serves children and families experiencing homelessness.
About Scotts Miracle-Gro
With more than $2.8 billion in worldwide sales, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company is the world’s largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care. The Company’s brands are the most recognized in the industry. In the U.S., the Company’s Scotts®, Miracle-Gro® and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup® brand, which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. In the U.S., we operate Scotts LawnService®, the second largest residential lawn care service business. In Europe, the Company’s brands include Weedol®, Pathclear®, Evergreen®, Levington®, Miracle-Gro®, KB®, Fertiligène® and Substral®. For additional information, visit us at www.scotts.com.
About The Columbus Foundation
The Columbus Foundation is the trusted philanthropic advisor® to more than 2,000 individuals, families, businesses, and communities that have created unique funds to make a difference in the lives of others through the most effective philanthropy possible. Serving the region for 70 years, The Columbus Foundation is the seventh largest community foundation in the United States. The Foundation’s online giving marketplace, PowerPhilanthropy®, makes it possible for everyone to access valuable information about nonprofit organizations in central Ohio.