“My experience at GRuB is to be remembered. I made so many friends and this program made me a better person. I love this community and hope we stop world hunger.

This community of amazing people has really opened my eyes to how we can see someone totally normal but not know a thing about them and judge the book by its cover. This world of fun, hard work, and trust is what our world really needs in this time. Someday soon I believe GRuB will end hunger in communities and the world.”

From Sean and all of us at GRuB, thank-you for helping to build a strong community for youth in need!

“Before GRuB I was a very judgmental individual and the way I saw people and situations was completely different. I used to take one look at someone and decide I didn’t like them based off what they looked like or dressed like. If I thought an activity or event was stupid I wouldn’t have had the guts to try it. A lot of the friends I’ve made I wouldn’t have paid any attention to. I wasn’t the person I wanted to be.

Today I’m a completely new person. I started GRuB in the summer for seven weeks through the summer program. We learned new styles that I had never thought of. I also learned how to farm, which is a big part of GRuB. The crew ran the farm a couple of different times and that gave us the responsibility we need for other jobs. On Wednesdays we did different activities called trust building. Crew would have to complete tasks to bring us closer. Afterwards we gather up and debrief about the activity. This was nice because if someone had anything to say it gave them the chance to speak. I really grew from this seven week program and continuing into the year has been a blast.”

Thank you from Deondra and all of us at GRuB!

On a beautiful spring day here in the Pacific Northwest,  Mercedes Jimenez and her family joined GRuB’s Kitchen Garden Project team to build their first garden. They were so happy to have us join them that they treated us to some delicious Central American food before and after the build. Mercedes has been extremely generous with the Kitchen Garden Project this year in offering up her translation and interpretation skills for our workshops and print materials. Because of her support, we are able to offer bilingual gardening classes for the first time!

Thanks for helping GRuB to build powerful partners with local families in our community!

“I became a crew member during the summer. When I got to GRuB, I didn’t know what to expect or really think at the time. But knowing that I was helping out the community gave me some comfort. Time passed and I’m realizing that I’m really doing this. I’m doing it? Can you believe this? Me, Sandy, age 16 is really doing something that most teens my age don’t do. This is great! Just the thought of it gives me little butterflies in my tummy. Not just any butterflies, but ones with rainbow color wings and purple bodies. This place. This mystery place called GRuB is awesome, amazing words that can’t even define it. GRuB has changed my life in so many ways by being open to everyone and everything, having workshops about plants I didn’t even know existed, and how to control conflicts in appropriate ways, which was a big one for me.”

A huge thanks from Sand and all of us at GRuB for making this “mystery place” a reality for youth in need.

The Northwest rain held off long enough for GRuB to build double-dug garden beds with Jim and his daughters. The Hardie family is excited to grow fresh tomatoes, carrots and strawberries in their new garden. The family plans to use the garden as a home-school teaching tool and also as a way to become more self sufficient. Having easy access to nutritious, homegrown food is important to the Hardies.

From all of us at GRuB, thanks for helping to make this possible!

Daniel has experienced a lot of hardship in his young life. Finding a place for himself at GRuB in SW Washington has helped him to begin taking control. For students like Daniel who are struggling in school and life, GRuB provides a unique opportunity for them to feel safe and cared for. In Daniel’s own words:

“I really didn’t like who I was before I attended GRuB. I had basically given up on life. I stopped caring for myself. I didn’t eat right, I had horrible sleeping patterns, I never went to school…

My view on my life is almost completely different. I feel as if GRuB has saved my life…GRuB has helped me find ways to deal with the emotions and pain that I feel…It has made me see that I am worth something… it is GRuB that has turned my direction in life around so that I have the chance to live that life that I didn’t have before.”

From Daniel and all of us at GRuB, thank-you for helping us to create powerful opportunities for youth in need.

Conan, Paula, and their sweet girls are ready to get growing thanks to their new home garden! They have very little gardening experience and are really excited to learn right alongside their children.

Conan & Paula believe that home-grown food is delicious and affordable and gets them eating as locally as possible. They’re proud that their kids will be able eat food that they participated in growing and the garden will help the whole family to feel closer to the earth.

With limited financial resources, this lovely family wouldn’t have had access to the labor and materials needed to put in their first garden, so they are thankful for the opportunity to join the GRuB family as gardeners this year.

Thanks for making it possible for families like these to build their self-sufficiency, pride, and overall well-being through home gardening!

My time at GRuB has been life-changing. It is making me a stronger person. I am learning life skills that I will keep with me forever.

We do team building activities and workshops that build trust between us all. GRuB creates a very comfortable, safe, and supportive environment that has helped me come out of my comfort zone, which makes it easier to try new things outside of GRuB, which I have been doing.

I have made so many great friends here that I know I will continue to have even after my time at GRuB is done. GRuB is making the community and the world a better place and I love being a part of that.

– A HUGE Thank-you from Anabel and all of us here at GRuB!

Jessica feels she is a stronger person because of GRuB. She explains that the Trust Building exercises everyone goes through on Wednesday mornings have had a significant impact on her as an individual. She stated, “I hardly trusted anyone before GRuB. I was scared. I thought everyone was just out to hurt me and I couldn’t let that happen.” Another activity that has made a difference for Jessica in trusting others has been the Straight Talk exercise. Straight Talk is where everyone gives each other and themselves two Alphas and one Delta. An Alpha is for something that everyone has done well and a Delta signifies something that can be improved. These exercises have helped Jessica love and care as well as treat others and herself with respect. She says she has learned that you do not have to be numb and emotionless to make it through.

The spark that Jessica feels changed her was when she learned she might get fired last summer. She says she fell in love with the farm and all the different personalities. She also recognized the growth that had transpired for her while working at GRuB and appreciated the sense of family in the community. Jessica says she never really had a loving family and that made her at first hesitant and  unsure whether GRuB was the right place. She says at first she wanted to go home, crawl into her bed and never come out. Now, she is loving life and much happier. GRuB she says is not only where she works, but is now her home.

Getting fired would have taken this home away from her. It also would also have affected her ability to graduate on time. Before GRuB, Jessica was a whole year behind in credits. Thanks to GRuB, Jessica will now be able to graduate on time and even with an extra credit and a half. Jessica claims, “who would of thought I would make it through high school.”

Thank you so much for helping support Jessica in her effort to continue to thrive at GRuB. Clearly, she has made significant advancement, both at school and in life, since beginning her involvement and she hopes to continue making improvements in the GRuB program. Thank you again for your generous support!

 

Jerry and Diksha took a stab at building their own garden in Olympia, Washington, but were unsuccessful so they came to GRuB for help. They’re very hopeful that their raised beds will help them to grow more food and save water.

They’re looking forward to having an easy growing season with the support of GRuB through our workshop series and mentoring tools.

By having their own garden, they’ll be building self-sufficiency and they can’t wait to get their kids involved!

Thanks for helping to make it possible for families in our community to grow their own, healthy food!

-GRuB