Growing Gardens, Cultivating Communities

Helping at the Alpharetta High School community garden was amazing! I have been at almost every AHS garden project Izzy has hosted. I enjoy helping out because I always wanted to have a garden of my own. By doing this I feel like I am helping some one else’s dreams come true. Every event I have volunteered for has been enjoyable, especially with such kind volunteers. It’s almost impossible to not have a great time. Getting dirty may seem messy but that is just part of the fun. Other times the volunteers and I have planted fruits, flowers and vegetable such as strawberries. This time I helped with weeding and painting a sign for the garden. This is by far one of my favorite volunteer projects.

-Juanita Barr

Giving Point and AHS have begun the journey to improve drop out rates. At the beginning of October, I, along with Ansley Colby and other AHS students, gathered in the AHS Community Garden and helped to plant and beautify the garden. Not only were we able to be in nature, but we were also able to encourage students to get active and motivate them to stay in school.
One of my favorite parts of this project thus far has been able to see the smile on students faces. Working with the CBI students has also opened my eyes to see just how much one person can make a difference. This project began with the idea of creating a garden, but it turned into a life changing experience. We have been able to open the doors for CBI students with regards to finding jobs. While working in the garden, I saw the dramatic changes. We saw a garden with little life move into a garden that is now full of happiness. After receiving a 5,000 dollar grant, we were able to buy trees, bushes and even create a side walk accessible to wheelchairs.
This put a large smile on my face... I feel any student, CBI or not, should be granted the same opportunities as students and volunteers like me.
As this project continues, I hope Giving Point can continue to use technology as a means to helping students stay in school. So far, I feel we have showed students that it's okay to be involved out of school because it does, indeed, help keep students motivated.

-Isabelle Marsh

Alpharetta High School hosted another beautification day on April 30th, 2011. I was pleasantly surprised with the volunteer turn-out as we got 40 volunteers! Both MK and I were optimistic about this project because we had culminated a plan for each group of volunteers to work in a certain area. Flowers laminated the u-shaped flower beds and new tomato, squash and eggplant plants were planted! The fence surrounding the garden is still currently a work in progress, but will quickly make it's headway towards the end of the month. I'd like to thank Comcast for its support in this garden day. Throughout the morning and into the afternoon, Comcast employees helped to supply the garden with new entities as well as planting and watering initiatives! The vibe throughout the garden was nothing but happiness as AHS students flocked to help clean up trash and water strawberries plants. In the coming weeks, the flowers should reach their blossoms and AHS will be able to experience picking plants, strawberries and harvesting upcoming plants.

-Isabelle Marsh 

Refer to the following thank you video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RjYrJFBfZ4 

Alpharetta High School would like to thank State Farm for the generous donations and contributions throughout the years. 

A thank you from Alpharetta High School: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RjYrJFBfZ4

In November, GivingPoint came out with a newsletter regarding our progress with the Alpharetta High School garden. Please view the following link: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=nukqn7cab&v=001A-vrUR0Y61sJ0pef95TJS2sHItHRpD8i9Em_rFz3qooC2TKzf_oqnEtxZbgIDKOP1B7yv_orKuZu7DDQGFchAJ8xvgaUzNvbc-rFHyRx4SU=

Students, teachers and community leaders are coming together to design the State Farm Unity Garden. Here's the draft design. Groundbreaking starts in April!

GivingPoint Partners With State Farm and the "U Hatin? University

In the middle of Atlanta, a unity garden is born!

In October 2011, more than 400 Carver High School students are ready to perform in a music video celebrating a new partnership between Atlanta-based GivingPoint and the State Farm Youth Advisory Board. The students will perform the modern unity theme "Changing this World Together!" as part of the announcement that State Farm has awarded a $70,200 grant to build a unity garden and courtyard for more than 1,000 underprivileged students at Carver High School.

"State Farm and GivingPoint are making it possible for students from the New Schools at Carver and teens from the YMCA of Atlanta to participate in a united effort to transform our school's grounds and help the community at-large, too," notes Dr. Darian Jones, Principal at the Health Sciences and Research School at Carver. "Throughout the project, we will focus on teaching the students teamwork, service leadership, environmental stewardship, and the value of uniting to help others for a common cause."

"Students across America are using GivingPoint's innovative technology that matches a young person's interest with a non-profit's needs to help make an impact through volunteerism," according to Executive Director Ansley Jones Colby. "We are grateful to the State Farm Youth Advisory Board for partnering with GivingPoint and giving Atlanta's at-risk students the opportunity to make our community stronger."

The celebration will be held on the grounds of the Carver Health Sciences and Research School, located at 55 McDonough Street, Atlanta, GA, 30315, on Thursday October 27th at 11:00a.m., in partnership with U Hatin? University, a Georgia-based anti-violence group.

GivingPoint will host a series of volunteer days throughout the school year and this summer.  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Nyaboke Machini at Nyaboke@mygivingpoint.org. If you want to attend a fun-filled volunteer camp, "YMCA Mission Atlanta" from May 28 - June 2, 2012, please contact Amber Borne at ymcaatlteens@gmail.com.

About U Hatin? University

U Hatin? University wants to make it popular not to hate. We encourage positive behavior in an entertaining forum and lift people up.  We promote tolerance and understanding spirit. We want to reduce the crime rate, eradicate violence and stop the abuse of people and animals.

Here, students are volunteering the Coan Middle School garden to learn best practices! We planted trees and cleaned up the debris.

Here is some more info on our new Unity Garden!

In Urban Atlanta, a Unity Garden is Born!

ATLANTA, Georgia (WorldWideNews) March 8, 2012—Hundreds of Carver High School
students are ready to unite their campus and learn new skills through a partnership
between Atlanta-based GivingPoint and the State Farm Youth Advisory Board. State
Farm awarded a $70,300 grant to GivingPoint to build a unity garden and courtyard for
more than 1,000 under-served students at the New Schools at Carver. They will also
use these grant funds to expand their technology platform and provide online education
materials for students to learn more about environmental stewardship and to apply their
classroom knowledge in real-world experiences that benefit the community.

“State Farm and GivingPoint are making it possible for students from the New Schools
at Carver and teens from the YMCA of Atlanta to participate in a united effort to
transform our school’s grounds and help the community at-large, too,” notes Dr. Darian
Jones, Principal at the Health Sciences and Research School at Carver. “Throughout
the project, we will focus on teaching the students teamwork, service leadership,
environmental stewardship, and the value of uniting to help others for a common cause.”

“Students across America are using GivingPoint’s innovative technology that matches
a young person’s interest with a non-profit’s needs to help make an impact through
volunteerism,” according to Executive Director Ansley Jones Colby. “We are grateful to
State Farm for partnering with GivingPoint and giving Atlanta Public School students the
opportunity to make our community stronger.”

The Unity Garden, which was designed by Sustenance Design with input from students,
teachers and community leaders, will provide a place for students from all of the New
Schools at Carver to gather, relax, and enjoy nature together. It will have delicious fruit
trees, beautiful flowers, and inviting places to sit. Please join us on one or more of the
following dates to dig, plant, lay bricks, mix compost, and more!

Some dates you could volunteer for!

Volunteer Site: The New Schools at Carver
55 McDonough Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30315

Spring Break Week:
Tue, 4/3: 9:30-2:00

Outward Bound Fair (with volunteer opportunities with GivingPoint)
Sat, 4/14: 12:00-4:00

Service Learning & Volunteer Days:
Thurs, 4/19: 3:30-5:00
Sat, 4/21: 8:00-1:30

Register to volunteer at: http://www.mygivingpoint.org/nyaboke_1

Questions: Please email Nyaboke Machini at GivingPoint: nyaboke@mygivingpoint.org.

What are high school students across Atlanta doing over Spring Break? While some are enjoy the sun in hot spots like Daytona and Destin, others are donating their time to build a unity garden in urban Atlanta at The New Schools at Carver High School. This week, hundreds of students from metro Atlanta, including Carver, Lassiter, Chamblee, Alpharetta, Roswell, and North Atlanta high schools, are beautifying the Carver campus and learning new skills as they build an outdoor classroom and edible garden. Through a partnership between Atlanta-based GivingPoint, the State Farm Youth Advisory Board, YMCA of Metro Atlanta, and Carver High School, students are transforming over 5,000 square feet of unsightly land. State Farm awarded a $70,200 grant to GivingPoint to build this garden and courtyard for more than 1,300 students at the New Schools at Carver. GivingPoint will also use these grant funds to expand their technology platform and provide online education materials for students to learn more about environmental stewardship and to apply their classroom knowledge in real-world experiences that benefit the community.

"State Farm and GivingPoint are making it possible for students from Carver and other schools to participate in a united effort to transform our campus. Our school is going through big changes. The courtyard garden can help us gather and interact with one another. I am proud to be a part of this volunteer effort," said Annissa Chatman, a senior at Carver Health Sciences and Research. "Throughout the project, we will focus on teaching the students teamwork, service leadership, environmental stewardship, and the value of uniting to help others for a common cause," notes Dr. Darian Jones, Principal at the Health Sciences and Research School at Carver.

"It's awesome that students from Guadalupe are volunteering with us and working with the YMCA and GivingPoint to make a positive impact in America," says North Atlanta junior, Lizzy Pratt. "I love volunteering, and I'm so glad we have this opportunity to give back over Spring Break."

The Unity Garden, which was designed with input from students, teachers and community leaders, will provide a place for students from all of the New Schools at Carver to gather, relax, and enjoy nature together.  It will have delicious fruit trees, beautiful flowers, and inviting places to sit.  Please join us on our last day of service on Thursday, April 5 from 10 am to 3 pm to dig, plant, lay bricks, mix compost, and more!

Thanks to all of our passionate and supportive volunteers, we had 3 successful days of creating the community garden!

If you have missed the news coverage on CBS and FOX News, here are the links to watch them:

Fox at 5: http://www.criticalmention.com/components/url_gen/play_flash.php?autoplay=1&clip_info=2644897553|0|59

Fox at 10: http://www.criticalmention.com/components/url_gen/play_flash.php?autoplay=1&clip_info=2645659949|22|37

CBS: http://www.criticalmention.com/components/url_gen/play_flash.php?autoplay=1&clip_info=2645014692|47|12

Thank you Patty Pan for reporting on our story!

Check out all the progress we made with our Unity Garden !

http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h341/kylazm/Carver/Spring%20break%20camp/

Couldn't do anything without our WONDERFUL volunteers! Keep up the excellent work!