A year of shared abundance

A letter to our supporters as we reflect on the year’s end

This year was a first for us. The first time we ever grew corn on our farm at the June Jordan School for Equity.

The seeds traveled from deep in the highlands of western Guatemala - over three thousand miles with a family that would settle in the Excelsior District of San Francisco. The seeds were meant for cloudy, cool mountain regions. We hoped they could find a home in our fertile soil, kissed daily by San Francisco's fog. Like the family they traveled with, in the garden, with care and support, the seeds found a community to spread their roots and grow.

As you know, Urban Sprouts believes everyone has the right to healthy food, beautiful outdoor environments, quality education, and to earn a living wage. Through our network of five gardens & community partners, each year, we reach over 2,000 people through three vital programs: cooking & nutrition classes, garden-based education, and job-readiness. We facilitate supportive learning communities in English, Spanish, and Cantonese, for people of all ages, genders, and races who are systematically denied access to resources for wellness and economic success.

In the garden, the communities we work with find a place of exploration and respite. Like the corn, every seed sown is a practice in intentional connection with one’s self, with others, and the earth. The result is healthy soil, nutritious food, and a sense of belonging. The corn we grew and harvested was communally prepared and shared in dozens of meals - fresh salads, grilled, bread, stews, and off the stalk - with hundreds of people. Each meal is an opportunity to tell stories, laugh, reflect, and give thanks for the abundance our shared work created.

As the year comes to an end, we ask that you please consider making a financial contribution to Urban Sprouts at urbansprouts.org/donate. Gifts of any size are the seeds we need to grow our work.  Thank you again for investing in our shared values and vision for this world, building pathways to health & economic equity, and supporting communities through love and care.

In Community,

The Urban Sprouts Team