The folks at Growing Gardens believe that good hearts, green thumbs, fresh food and happy, healthy people all go hand-in-hand.

A Portland-based nonprofit, their mission is simply to help people grow food – be that through community gardens, backyard plots, school club gardens or even balconies. They do that through a verity of ways, including a Home Garden program, a Youth Grow education partnership with schools, a Lettuce Grow initiative that service incarcerated people, as well as a slew of workshops. Each program serves a different population, but all strive to connect people with fresh, wholesome and accessible food.

Growing Gardens looks to serve low-income individuals and families with some of their programs, but also offers resources and education for people from all walks of life. Workshops on a diverse set of topic – from pollinators to plant dyes – are scheduled year-round. And there are many opportunities for those interested in volunteering with everything from garden-tending to seed sorting.

This week Growing Gardens was featured as part of our award-winning Community Voices series. You can listen to interviews with members of the organization below.

PRP