Christmas is a time of so many things: celebrating the birth of Jesus, spending time with family, giving one-of-a-kind gifts for that special someone, and sitting by your beautifully decorated Frasier Fir Christmas Tree (that you got from Garden Valley, of course). And if you’re able to do these things this holiday season, consider yourself very blessed. Some, or many, do not have the same blessings that we do. So this season, we want to challenge you to give back to a charity or non-profit organization in your own community! Not only will it give you joy, but it will also help to fulfill the basic necessities and needs of those around us.

For those who are local to the Guilford and Alamance Counties of North Carolina, we wanted to feature a special non-profit organization that is dear to our hearts:

Out of the Garden Projects

“To nourish families with food to grown, learn and thrive.”

How it got started

Don and Kristy Milholin noticed that children in their daughters’ elementary school were experiencing a lack of food. Children. At the age where the brain is developing, growing, and learning so much information, a child can’t reach its full potential if there is not enough nourishment for the body, aka the brain. And that’s what’s happening in our own children’s schools. Children are going hungry, and many times the only meal that they may have is the low cost meal provided for them at school. So Don and Kristy saw a need and decided to try and fulfill it. They started off by providing a small bag of food for six to ten families every Friday so they could have a meal or two over the weekend.

What it is now

With more than 800 volunteers, Out of the Garden Project has grown, and continues to grow, into an amazing organization. They serve the community by collecting and sorting non-perishable food, and packaging and delivering it to the schools of Guilford County for children to take home over the weekend. You can read more about that here. They also recently started the Urban Teaching Farm, where the goal is to provide access to fresh foods and teach the future generation about regenerative agriculture. They have many ongoing projects that are reaching the children in our community, and we highly recommend you go and check those out!

How can you help?

They are currently involved in the programs listed above, and others as well. You can find out more about them, and how you can help, here. And with no contribution too small, this community welcomes any help you can give them.
They are also currently in the midst of the fundraising campaign “Feed a Child, Change a Life”. If you would like to help them reach their goal for the year of 2020, consider gifting an end of the year monetary gift to this community focused organization. As long as there is a need, Out of the Garden Project will work to fulfill it. Will you help your community too?

Here are a few other charities and non-profit organizations that you might consider
supporting this holiday season:

Open Door Clinic of
Alamance County

Offers healthcare and medications to qualified patients free of charge.

“To offer free healthcare services with dignity, professionalism, and
concern for the indigent and uninsured residents of Alamance County.”

Living Free Ministries

A free six-month Christian based Men’s drug and alcohol regeneration program.

“To be an instrument of hope for our community and beyond.”

Benevolence Farm

Provides a transitional living program for up to 6 women leaving North Carolina prisons.

“To cultivate leadership, promote sustainable livelihoods, and reap structural change with individuals impacted by the criminal justice system in North Carolina.”

Feed the Hunger

A Christian mission organization that helps people in spiritual and physical need.

“Feeding the spiritual and physical hunger in the needy.”

A Heart’s Cry

A non-profit pregnancy and counseling center that provides assistance and counseling to women, children, and families.

“To give every woman, regardless of age, race, religion or ethnic background, the opportunity and skills to move forward making a life change.”

Second Chance Haiti
(through Hope Church)

Hope Church partners with Second Chance to send a team to Haiti twice a year. Read more about that here.

“We aim to empower families and leave a legacy for Christ.”

Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook or our Instagram. And if you’re wanting to check out our other recipes and blog posts, or are needing more inspiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team