There is no need for me to lecture anyone or bring up statistics about the effects of malnutrition. It is a sad, painful and pervasive reality for too many families right here in the land of riches and opportunities. Many organizations and generous contributors do what they can to provide food and monetary donations to help less fortunate individuals and families. However; despite all the efforts, many children and families are malnourished. Taking an initiative to plant a vegetable garden at a community playground is a wonderful opportunity to inform curious bystanders of what you are doing and invite them to join. So imagine my excitement when I came across an organization that was doing this very thing at a national level. I came across KidsGardening.org , an organization that promotes wellness through gardening. Resources in this site are free to use, and subscribing gains you free activities to try with young children. Not only is gardening a fun way for children to interact, but it also promotes social skills, patience, positive self esteem, interest in our environment and gives them the power to grow foods for consumption. Rather than bogging you down with my biased opinions, I prefer to let you make your own determination of this program and hope you will explore the contents offered. What I will say is that organizations partnering with kidsgardening.org report an increase in student nutritional attitudes among other important statistics. Giving children the power to change or even brighten their world view from the garden will have a long lasting effect for positive growth and positive industry.
Nutrition
Published by emijg1015
I began my road to profession during my high school years. I started at a day care center. During my stead, I pursued my love for hospitality and enrolled at the Hudson County Community College Culinary Arts program. Since then, I dedicated a good portion of time in the food and beverage industry. I was always too happy to work and be engaged in every aspect, including doing dishes and mopping to bathrooms and trash. I learned early on that hard work and dedication defined who I was, who I am, and who I will be. During a time of temporary relocation I took on a role as Case Manager for a mostly Hispanic community. Here I fell in love with psychology. Soon after going back home I enrolled in the Psychology program at Argosy University in Sarasota Florida. I applied much of what I learned to how I performed my duties, how I made hiring choices, and more importantly, how to be. On the home front, I applied what I learned when engaging with my family and friends, and in doing so, I have been privileged to inspire my grandchildren to grow up with curiosity and a deep love for adventure. My family is my ultimate love, and my grandkids are my greatest motivators for wanting to pursue an educational path that allows me the opportunity to inspire a young mind. Taking a moment to reflect, I have come full circle. Evaluating the things that I have done, and the strides I have made towards positive professional growth, I return to the place where it all began, school and child care. View more posts
Gremi's Garden 
I totally agree with your views on nutrition and the lack thereof. We live in the greatest country in the planet, where resources are way better than other nations. There should be no reason why children would go hungry in America because people here have access to food stamps, free or reduced school meals, free produce trucks, food banks and the like. Yet, I see it with my own eyes, in my line of work – children are malnourished because they are not provided the proper nutrition at home by the adults that are supposed to look after their well-being. For families that do not qualify for EBT benefits, there is always that better option to grow your own food from the comforts of your backyard. It’s healthier, organic, and readily available from garden to table. My two cents: hunger and malnutrition are preventable.
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Emily,
I did not realize that there was a national online organization that promoted community gardens for food. At the school district in the town where I work they have a Farm to School program where the students learn to grow the food and care for the garden. It supports various areas of the curriculum and teaches them about doing good deeds in the community since most of the food goes to the local food pantry.
There seems to be plenty of resources available to support families in need of food in the US, yet I encounter children all of the time in need of meals. I would guess there are some families that do not like to take handouts, although that should never be considered when children who need nourishment are involved. Otherwise I do not know where the gap comes from that continually has so many children still in need of food.
Susan
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Hi Susan. There are actually many organizations and grant programs that fund homesteading. These of course don’t get as much attention as they should. Kids gardening.org is a really helpful site. There are others who use gardening as part of treatment with troubled youths. Gardening is taking its rightful place in society, its not just about pretty flowers and showcasing.
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Hello Emily, Question how are handling the observation assignment? Are you able to do an observation? We have a lot of childcare facilities close or there are strict rules for visitors due to the COVID 19. Cynthia Hunt
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The first observation was done in a home care setting, i had to wear mask and gloves and could not participate. The second was via Skype, my daughter in law provides services at the Ymca in Florida.
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