News

Community garden project wins grant

By Lightning Reports, Published: September 6, 2023

A community garden project in Hendersonville is one of three projects across the country to win a $25,000 grant for taking innovative and equitable steps to improving children’s health. 

Organizations in the city planted a community garden revitalization project, growing food using organic methods, conducting cooking classes and providing hands-on educational experiences in the garden for neighborhood children. including growing food using organic methods, conducting cooking classes, and providing hands-on educational experiences in the garden for neighborhood children.

The Healthy Babies Bright Futures’ Bright Cities program announced the latest round of grant funding last week for cities across the U.S.

Though 35 of the 50 largest US cities have adopted local climate action plans, just a fraction of cities have integrated specific strategies to reduce ubiquitous toxic exposures within their climate, sustainability, or resilience plan. To help reduce this gap, Healthy Babies Bright Futures awarded three $25,000 grants for cities to plan a locally appropriate action that reduces neurotoxic exposures with a climate, resilience, and/or sustainability co-benefit.

The grants went to Hendersonville, Boulder, Colo., and Lansing, Mich., to fund proposals that showed potential for reducing neurotoxic exposures for expectant families and young children while also addressing climate change.