Greening & Social Responsibility Consultation

What Is JCC Grows?

JCC Grows is a multi-pronged initiative that promotes healthy and nutritious eating, addresses hunger relief in our communities, as well as promotes a greater consciousness about where our food comes from, food justice and the connection between food and Jewish tradition. It includes food-related programming and resources with a focus on fresh food collections, connecting to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs and farmer’s markets, and the cornerstone of the project─creating and maintaining a sustainable producing garden, in which a portion of the produce is donated to emergency food providers (food banks, shelters, etc…).

A social responsibility consultation offers:

• Ideas and inspiration for holiday-related food collections
• Tips and resources for healthy eating (for both people and the planet)
• Resources on eating ethically and Jewish learning (the connection between food and Jewish tradition)
• Step-by-step information for starting a community garden that donates a majority of its produce to an emergency food provider
• Faith and Communities Toolkit for Faith-based Neighborhood Organizations through our partnership with Let’s Move, First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative to solve the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation
• Resources through our partnership with the USDA’s People’s Garden initiative, helping communities to create gardens that benefit both people in need and the environment
• Information on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, and program ideas for connecting to farmer’s markets and local farms