Philanthropy

The AICP has a long-standing tradition of selecting a local charity to support in our host city each year. Through our fundraising efforts, our members have contributed over $50,000 to charities throughout the country. This year, the funds raised will be distributed equally between the local charity we have selected and AICP’s scholarship fund.

The AICP has found another gem of a charity to support in our host city of Miami, Florida, Health in the Hood. Combining education on the benefits of home grown, organic produce with the building of urban gardens, Health in the Hood is connecting communities to wellness.

About Health in the Hood

OUR MISSION:  Our mission is to provide equal food access for all,
one community garden at a time.

OUR PURPOSE:  Health in the Hood connects our most food insecure communities to more nutritious food and healthier, happier lives.

THE HISTORY OF HEALTH IN THE HOOD:  Founded by Executive Director, Asha Walker in 2013, Health in the Hood set out to connect communities to wellness with a simple idea – Local Vegetable Gardens to Feed and Inform Communities in Need.

We applied for funding, gathered community partners and constructed our first urban vegetable garden in Liberty City, Florida. Since then we have expanded to a network of nine urban farms and have distributed over 8,000 lbs of free fresh, local produce to families in need. Our programs include community driven urban farms, healthy living workshops and a mobile produce pantry.

​By providing access to fresh foods and health education in low-income neighborhoods, we are putting children on the path to healthy futures, giving parents useful information and creating environments that make healthy choices easy.

HEALTH IN THE HOOD creates local food ecosystems to make healthy eating attainable, sustainable and fun!

PROGRAMS:  Health in the Hood offers many programs to those they serve; however, the four main programs are:  Urban Farming, Nutritional Education, Food Distribution and a Mobile Library.  This is just a snippet of what Health in the Hood offers to the Miami-Dade community.  Please visit their website to see all that this worthy charity has done and continues to do, https://www.healthinthehood.org

HOW AICP MEMBERS CAN HELP: AICP members can help in a multitude of ways before and during annual conference

Before Conference:

  1. Donate an item or two to the Silent Auction.  Please find the donation form (here) along with the instructions
  2. Make an online donation here: www.healthinthehood.org/donate
  3. Purchase book(s) for Health in the Hood’s Mobile Library.  Health in the Hood stocks a mobile library in various locations and wants to keep it stocked to share knowledge with their different neighborhoods as they travel various locations.  Their library consists of books pertaining to health, gardening, nutrition, overall well-being, and different children’s books.

During Conference:

  1. Participate in the Service Day on Sunday, September, 18th from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
    • Up to 20 volunteers can participate in the Service Day
    • All volunteers will be working in the same location
    • The day will begin with a tour of the garden facility
    • Volunteers will help with weeding, planting seeds or seedlings, watering, beautification (some painting may be involved, borders, etc.), feeding plants, or harvesting
    • Their garden facility locations are 15 – 25 minutes at the most from the hotel
    • We will get an exact location as we get closer to the conference  (it depends on the need)
  2. Purchase tickets for the online silent auction.
    • $1 for 1 ticket
    • $5 for 6 tickets
    • $10 for 13 tickets
    • $20 for 30 tickets
  3. Purchase a conference pin for $5
  4. Donate anonymously

My hope is the above information has gotten you revved up to support this worthy charity and AICP’s scholarship fund.

Michael Hollar
Silent Auction Sub-Committee Chair

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