Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities
Final Grant Report for
Fiscal agent if applicant is not tax exempt:
Tax ID Number:
38-2314954
Contact First Name:
Contact Last Name:
Jen
Schaap
313 Howard St., Unit B, Petoskey, MI. 49770
Address:
Email:
231-941-6584 x708
Phone Number:
Project Name:
Building Resilient Communities in Emmet & Charlevoix
Project start and end dates:
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Amount Granted From Hestia:
$
2500
Project results and Impact
How many girls/women have been served by the project during this project year?
This particular project affects 40 total children at the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan’s Children’s Learning Center, about half of which are girls.
Goal of the Project
Did you meet your program goals for the grant period?
If yes, how do you know? Please describe any program evaluation you use:
If no, please describe current barriers and how you are working to overcome them:
We successfully partnered with the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan to implement a project for their Children’s Learning Center in Petoskey. The site completed a pre-assessment, an action plan, and collaborative research in order to implement a project: a new refrigerator, new curriculum, and new resources that can improve WRC’s capacity to teach and provide healthy, local foods to CLC children. Pandemic-related challenges–like staffing and capacity issues–resulted in a delayed start for this project, but Groundwork staff responded with understanding, prioritizing flexibility, well-being, communication, and progress over perfection. We continue to work closely with WRC staff to ensure the project is brought to completion by Summer 2022, which will include evaluation and analysis of data collected over the course of the project. Groundwork is also partnering with Public Policy Associates to evaluate the success of the Building Resilient Communities pilot program as a whole, results of which can be available to Hestia upon request.
Do you have a story of how your program positively changed participant's situation, behavior, or knowledge?
If so, please share it:
After more than a decade of work in farm to school programming, Groundwork has seen the difference that offering healthy, local food in schools makes in children’s health and well-being. Research shows that when children are exposed to healthy food multiple times in different settings or mediums, they are more likely to self-select those foods at mealtimes, developing healthy habits that will last a lifetime.
Children at CLC will be exposed to more healthy eating messages through posters and videos, increasing their knowledge of how food is grown and the benefits of eating Michigan fruits and vegetables. We expect these children to have increased access to fresh food once CLC has more space and incentive to serve it. Parents will also receive related messages and recipe handouts, which CLC plans to send home periodically. With these strategies combined, we expect these activities to influence long-term behavior changes as families make more nutritious food choices.
Sustainability
Will this project continue?
If so, how will it be funded?
If not, why not?
The BRC pilot will continue as a growing program of Groundwork Center, with at least 10 project sites proposed for 2022-2023 and more as funding is secured. Groundwork will continue to implement place-based BRC projects throughout Northwest Lower Michigan, with emphasis on areas surrounding Groundwork offices in Petoskey and Traverse City. Funding for each site is provided through individual donors or through grantmaking organizations, like Hestia Women’s Giving Circle.
For this particular project, the installation of the refrigerator and educational materials will continue to serve children for many years to come. Women’s Resource Center has also agreed to long-term commitments that will continue beyond project completion, including 1) to increase the amount of fresh food served to children each day, to the best of their ability; 2) to prioritize serving seasonal and/or local fruits and vegetables, to the best of their ability; and 3) to incorporate Harvest of the Month education materials into their teaching curriculum by showing 1 video per month to CLC students. Commitments like this are required for each BRC project to ensure sustainability.
Public Relations
How did you publicize this grant?
Please list any examples.
This project was publicized on social media. Groundwork published a Facebook post on June 18, 2021, explaining that the Building Resilient Communities pilot year had started. The post reached nearly 500 people. We tagged Hestia Women’s Giving Circle in the last paragraph:
Funds from Charlevoix County Community Foundation, Hestia Women's Giving Circle, Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, and anonymous donors make BRC projects, like The Depot's cooking lessons, possible. Micro-grants and project support are what make it possible for area organizations to grow their capacity to connect the community with healthy, local food!
Hestia’s support was acknowledged in Groundwork’s quarterly newsletter for Fall 2021, which circulated to approximately 3,000 people throughout Northwest Lower Michigan. Hestia is also acknowledged on Groundwork’s website as a funding partner for the BRC program. The webpage can be viewed here: https://www.groundworkcenter.org/building-resilient-communities/
Summary Comments
WRC expressed a strong need for infrastructure to allow the CLC to store and serve more fresh food to children. WRC also stressed the value of Groundwork staff in project planning and implementation — employees had limited capacity for new initiatives. Groundwork consultant Jessyca Stoepker spent time with site leads researching equipment, developing materials, gathering data, and moving the project forward. We are pleased with the results of the project and are grateful for the opportunity to work with a women- and children-centered organization.
BRC's successful pilot year has proven the program to be highly dynamic with unique, tangible outcomes that strengthen the regional food system. We continue to leverage the results to obtain additional funding, build momentum, and refine and expand the program. Groundwork is thankful for Hestia’s support, and will continue to share the stories and impacts from this pilot to grow awareness and enthusiasm for BRC into the future.
We worked with 4 out of 5 proposed sites, so actual expenses were ~ ⅘ of original budget. We travelled less than expected. Hestia funds covered $1800 for a refrigerator, $200 for materials, and $500 on staff.
Grant Final Budget Form
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