Brainerd Community Garden

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Chicago, IL - Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. High-impact social change nonprofit providing community-based alternatives to youth incarceration, congregate placements and neighborhood violence.

It Only Takes One Man Project – The Documentary screening
The Big Event is June 10th...Dinner Service starts at 6pm at Pershing West Elementary Magnet School 3300 S. Calumet Ave. 6pm-9pm
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!!!...Advance Tickets $20, At the door $25...You Don't Want To Miss It!!!! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/it-only-takes-one-man-project-…
(A portion of the proceeds will go directly to the Brainerd Community Garden)

It Only Takes One Man (Teaser) Teaser trailer to our next upcoming documentary

Please help us fund The Brainerd Community garden, This project is a major undertaking that will benefit the entire community from our children to our seniors. It is designed to improve the quality of life in our community as a educational resource for our kids, while producing fresh vegetables for our residents. Many people feel that not enough positive things are happening in our community, well here is one we feel everyone can support and we hope that you will. Whatever you can donate will be appreciated as this project cannot be successful without your support. It is often said that children are the product of their environment, well it is our job to change that environment. Please help us improve our community.
http://brainerdgarden.webs.com/donate

The Brainerd Community Garden The Brainerd Community Garden is located at 8900 S. Loomis St. in the Brainerd community on Chicago's south side. The site, once a thriving business district has sat vacant and unused for the past twenty years.

Vicky and I had a great time at Community block party in support of the "It Only Takes One Man" documentary project host by Alisha Roberts-Novak of ARN. This event brought together Non-profits, business people and community residents to network and create partnerships in an effort to provide resources and funding for our community garden as well as many other projects. We are working hard to get the Brainerd community garden project started but it will take the entire community to get involved.

Garden Construction will be a three phase process:
Phase 1 slated to begin May 21, 2016 (weather permitting)
1/3 of the allotted land will be cleared
Temporary fencing erected
Raised planter beds will be assembled and installed
Initial crops planted
Phase 2 : TBA
Phase 3 : TBA

THE MISSION:
The mission of the Brainerd Community Garden is to reclaim and repurpose a large area of land roughly the size of one city block and provide a place for local community members without land of their own the opportunity to produce food, and provide a place for gardeners to share their knowledge and skills. The garden will also be a valuable educational resource for our local schools as numerous studies point to gardens as a means of improving academic achievement, promoting healthy lifestyles, demonstrating the principles of stewardship, encouraging community and social development. Gardens are great places for children to learn math, business and communication skills through applied activities and interaction. Integrating environment-based education into academic programs improves reading, math, science and social studies test scores and reduces discipline problems in the classroom. While vacant lots can be magnets for litter and criminal activity, community gardens are observed and managed by the gardeners, resulting in a more active local community and increased neighborhood surveillance or “eyes on the street”, often deterring crime. In addition the garden will give our youth a safe place to interact with their peers and our seniors while involving them in beneficial activities.