Sustainable urban growth
During fall break of the 2022-23 school year, ABP conducted a trip to Athens, Greece focused on promoting environmentally-conscious urban growth. Trip participants volunteered in collaboration with the nonprofit Organization Earth, cooking meals for underprivileged community members, working on a sustainable farm, and more!
Below is the slideshow presented at the trip informational associated with the trip:
Nonprofits for Sustainable Farming and Urban Growth
The Bloomington Community Orchard
About: The Bloomington Community Orchard is an entirely volunteer-run sustainable garden, providing an opportunity for community members to come together and grow fruit trees, herbs, plants, and more. The organization’s efforts increase local food security, as well as the quality of life, in Bloomington.
Website: https://bloomingtoncommunityorchard.org/site/
Donation Link: Donate
How To Get Involved: The Bloomington Community Orchard has various teams (Operations, Volunteer, Communications, Partner Plantings, etc.) and committees (Governance, Finance, Development) that members of the public can join. The time commitment is generally five hours per week for these groups. Learn more about the roles at Get Involved.
If you are interested in joining the board of the nonprofit and informing the organization’s broader strategy, you can contact the Governance committee at governance@BloomingtonCommunityOrchard.org.
CanopyBloomington
About: CanopyBloomington is dedicated to sustainably and equitably maintaining Bloomington’s urban forest. Urban forests offer benefits such as mitigating climate change effects, improving public health, fostering social connections, reducing energy costs, and supporting local businesses.
Website: https://www.canopybloomington.org/
Donation Link: Donate
How To Get Involved: Become a steward for the forest by contacting the nonprofit. To join the CanopyBloomington team, reach out at hello@canopybloomington.org.
Community Kitchen Of Monroe County
About: This kitchen, run by 100+ volunteers weekly, provides free nutritious meals, nutrition education, referrals, and a comfortable social environment for patrons, staff, and volunteers.
Website: https://www.monroecommunitykitchen.com/
Donation Link: Donate
How To Get Involved: Students can volunteer by emailing June Taylor, the Volunteer Coordinator, at june@monroecommunitykitchen.com or calling the organization at (812)-332-0999. Volunteer opportunities include serving, preparing meals, delivering food via trucks, and more. Consider joining the organization’s Board Of Directors.
If you are a local nonprofit interested in being featured here, fill out this form.
“My favorite part of the trip was seeing first-hand how the knowledge we obtained changed me and my groups perspective of sustainability. This also allowed for the group as a whole to share a moment of bonding and grow together through our common achieved goal. Now my perspective on sustainability is definitely more mature. I see what sustainability can be and how it can be achieved. I feel more confident and knowledgeable in the way that people’s lives are affected but others’ lifestyle.”