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About Us
Page initiated Aug. 7, 2010
This page acts as an index of the material that deals with the Friendship Gardens collaborative. Some of the material is explored on this page, some on other pages on this site or by download from this site. The rest is elsewhere. Given the nature of the collaboration, this page will be changing regularly, both in content and in organization.
The people
As new gardens are added to the Friendship Gardens family, the participants in this grass-roots effort will continue to expand. But there are a cadre of folks deeply committed to the success of this project.
From Slow Food Charlotte: Thom Duncan; Rich Deming;
From Friendship Trays: Lucy Bush Carter, executive director; Lani Lawrence, volunteer coordinator; Steve Johnston, webmaster; Sydney Kornegay, a Davidson College intern during the summer of 2010.
From Revolution Park Garden: Brett Tempest.
The Women's Impact Fund grant received in 2010 has allowed the collaborative to reimburse two people for their ongoing efforts on behalf of the collaboration. They are Henry Owen, garden coordinator for Friendship Trays, and Katherine Metzo, coordinator of the overall Friendship Gardens effort.
The Women's Impact Fund Grant
In May 2010, the Women's Impact Fund announced a grant to Slow Food Charlotte to assist this collaborative effort. Here's how the Fund's managers explained the grant on their website:
"Slow Food Charlotte: $70,000 to Slow Food Charlotte for its Friendship Trays Community Garden Initiative.
"The importance of locally grown food to our environment is evident: it has fewer pesticides and preservatives, reduces soil contamination from chemicals, and increases air quality by reducing transportation of food. Local seasonal food is also more nutritious and creates open green space.
"However, local fresh fruits and vegetables make up a very small percentage of the food accessible to low-income families and to elderly, homebound and ailing citizens in Mecklenburg County.
" Slow Food Charlotte has created a collaborative group of local food providers and community volunteers to increase the available supply of local and sustainable foods.
"The WIF grant will be used to expand the number of gardens to provide more fresh produce to the Friendship Trays meals program."
The grant requires a number of reports on progress. More information on that process will be posted here anon.
Numerous corporations, agencies and others have assisted this initiative. Read about them here.
Growing the number of gardens
The collaboration aims to add to the number of community and other gardens throughout the Charlotte region.
We will use these guidelines to identify new sites.
In August 2011, volunteers began setting up shop, generally on Saturday mornings, in parking lots where nearby residents have very limited access to fresh produce. The initiative, months in the making, is a collaborative effort of a number of nonprofits and committed volunteers. Click the header above for more information about the project.
Friendship Gardens
Charlotte
Creating local, renewable nutritious food resources
for meals-on-wheels recipients
An Initiative of Slow Food Charlotte and Friendship Trays, Inc.
Friendship Trays, 2401-A Distribution
St. Charlotte, NC 28203 voice 704-333-9229 fax 704-333-5947
Meals-on-wheels in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC
Delivering, in a caring and friendly manner, balanced meals to individuals
in this community
who are unable, because of age or infirmity, to obtain and prepare their own
meal
Friendship Trays is a 501(c)(3) organization. Employer ID #56-1201496.
Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license
are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 919-807-2000.
The license is not an endorsement by the State.