My Job at GTC
Introduction
Over the last year, I’ve been blessed with the incredible opportunity to work alongside Springfield youth at Gardening the Community (GTC). GTC is a nonprofit food justice organization engaged in youth development, urban agriculture, and sustainable living to build healthy and equitable communities. So, as my internship with GTC has represented a very formative time of my life, I thought I’d bring some of my GTC newsletters here to this site. This is my first GTC newsletter!
(Plus, if you want to subscribe to GTC’s Newsletter Click Here!)
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GTC 2023 January Newsletter
2022 Thank You!
Happy New Year! From the team at Gardening the Community, we want to give you a special thank you for all the donations and support that sustained us through 2022. Over the last month we’ve been writing letters, reflecting on the year, and have sent some gifts in the mail to express our gratitude! Likewise, if you still want to donate IT’S NOT TOO LATE! We are always accepting donations, so if your interested in donating now visit http://www.gardeningthe.org/donate.html for more information!
GTC Welcomes Maurice Powe
Hello! I’m Maurice Powe, and I’m a Western Mass native who lives in Longmeadow. I’m a junior Psychology and English major at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and my mom is the principal of Elias Brookings Elementary School. At UMass, I’m in a two-year academic civic engagement leadership program that works in collaboration with community organizations to advocate for a more just world. Therefore, the organization that I chose to be with was GTC!
Over the summer I had the amazing opportunity to garden alongside the youth, and I cannot express how wonderful that experience was. After the first day of work, I remember writing about how the youth make me hopeful. They’re funny, they’re smart, and I’m confident that they’ll make significant strides to bettering our future. So, how does that relate to my position at GTC?
As a Social Justice and Policy Advocate, part of my position helps operate the newsletter, and one of my primary goals is to capture and update you with everything new at GTC! Therefore, I’ve been tasked with the challenge and gift to captivate our youth for the GTC community. So, expect to read a lot more from me in the coming months. In conclusion, I look forward to my involvement within the Springfield community, and am excited for the future!
GTC Farm Store Hours
Wednesdays
11:00 - 5:30
Thursdays
11:00 - 5:30
Fridays
11:00 - 5:30
Saturdays
11:00 - 3:00
Walnut Street Farm Store
(413) 301-6574
200 Walnut St.
Springfield, MA 01105
GTC Youth Spotlight
The Youth at GTC closed 2022 with fun and bonding at Altitude Trampoline Park and group dinner at a not very healthy restaurant.
What Are We Working on Now?
Over the coming months, GTC will be leading a project called “Hampden County Table Stories.” Supported by Liz O’Gilvie and Terrell James (you’ll meet Terrell in next months newsletter). GTC youth will build their strengths in community engagement and community building, using a practice called “photovoice.” The GTC youth will use photography, story, recording, and video to capture intergenerational and cross-cultural stories of health inequities in the food system.
Join Our Team!
GTC is hiring! We are looking for a Youth Program Assistant Manager, a Farm Manager, a Farm Store and Food Access Assistant Manager, a Farm Store Associate, and a Finance Assistant. So, if you or a friend would be interested in joining our team, visit http://www.gardeningthe.org/jobs.html for more information!
