Author: Kate Record
If you've been at either IHS shelter recently, you may have noticed some MAJOR changes in the exterior of the buildings.
What was once just a set of buildings is now a set of gorgeous urban farms, and it's all thanks to our dedicated staff, volunteers, and shelter guests.
Earlier this year, IHS received a grant from Kaiser to start a pilot Urban Agriculture Job Skills Training Program for our guests - and the program was instantly popular with our guests. The pilot program finished this past April, but lives on thanks to another grant from the state.
What exactly is the program? Well, it's a series of classes that focus on job skills training, and uses gardening as an avenue to demonstrate topics. The focus isn't as much on the gardening piece as it is on career and job development - but the knowledge that one gains from learning about composting, cultivating soil, and how to care for edible plants is nothing to sneer at. While living in Hawaii is indeed expensive, our year-round sunshine leads to a plant-friendly environment - perfect for growing fresh herbs, veggies, and fruit. Don't have money for food? Grow your own!
Our gardens yield about 50 lbs of fresh produce each month, all of which are added into our guests' meals at the shelter. The additions of more fresh produce have really transformed our meals' nutritional value - which translates to healthier shelter guests. And that's always a good thing!
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