Transylvania Boys & Girls Club's 'Harvest Project' Benefits From N.C. GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Gra

Transylvania Boys & Girls Club's 'Harvest Project' Benefits From N.C. GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Grant

8/28/2017

Originally from The Transylvania Times.

The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County is excited to expand its garden science program, Harvest Project. The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation grant allows needed expansion for it.

 

Harvest Project teaches members about where food comes from and why it matters through hands-on experiences, including tending to a garden. Members learn the value of eating healthy foods, seasonality and life cycles of plants, food production and distribution.

Club members have harvested more than 5,000 pounds of produce in the past several years. Most harvested produce is given to Club families at no cost while some is used during the Club's nutrition program, teaching members how to cook healthy foods.

The grant funds will allow the project to expand and provide enhanced programs more efficiently within their facility and outdoor space. A mentoring component will also be incorporated into the program. The Harvest Project includes a quarter of an acre garden, a greenhouse, a chicken coop, an indoor observation bee hive, a fish tank provided by Trout Unlimited, and an indoor tower garden provided by JuicePlus to grow plants indoors during the winter.

Candice Walsh, the club's executive director, said, "We are honored to partner with the NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation to further enhance the education and health of nearly 700 youth in our county."

Founded in 1999 by the late Cindy Platt, The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County serves 250-280 daily and almost 500 households per year through its after school and summer youth development programs that nurture academic success, foster healthy lifestyles and cultivate good character and citizenship.

The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is an independent self-funding 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supporting activities that help meet the educational and health needs of today's society and future generations. Since its creation in 1986, the foundation has granted $71.0 million to support North Carolina projects and programs that emphasize the understanding and application of science, health and education at all academic and professional levels. Visit the Foundation at NCGSKFoundation.org.

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