The Cultivating Communities Campaign (CCC) enables access to fresh and local produce by families
or individuals living in the greater North Penn region of Montgomery County by
developing and expanding coordination between community gardens and food
distribution sites. Health Promotion
Council (HPC) and other core partners collaboratively lead the CCC with
generous support of the North Penn Community Health Foundation.
The CCC was designed to be
an initiative that can be adopted and sustained by the North Penn communities after
project funding is complete. For example, HPC with support from the core
partners, has developed a volunteer strategy that helps garden and food distributors
find the extra helpful hands they need throughout the year, especially during the
peak of the growing season. This kind of resource sharing socially and
economically supports the integrity of the distribution network between growers
and consumers.
In 2011, the CCC started
with 5 garden and 2 food distribution partners and has grown to include 35 partners.
This year, 2 new farms joined CCC and will donate a portion of their harvested
produce through the coming year to local food pantries. We are confident that
the connections within the North Penn community that have been established and
expanded as a result of CCC will continue to strengthen in the coming years.
If you have questions
about the Cultivating Communities Campaign or would like to learn about volunteering please contact:
Hamzeh Abuyounis, Program Coordinator, at habuyounis@phmc.org.
