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Growing Together: Building Community Through Food BY SANONNA AL TAWEEL
PHOTO BY: FREEPIK.COM
F or the past 15 years, The GrowHaus, a local community-led non-profit organization, has been cultivating food justice through fresh food access, health and wellness programs, and leadership development. Originally working in the Latino immigrant communities of Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea, The GrowHaus has scaled its reach across Metro Denver to meet the growing need for food access. The organization now provides fresh food via 24 food access sites across Denver via partnerships with Denver Public Library, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, and community health care clinics. With a team made up primarily of Latina women from the communities served, The GrowHaus connects nearly 6,000 neighbors each month with fresh, culturally meaningful food and programs that nurture the whole person. The GrowHaus reflects the critical need for community-driven solutions to food insecurity as parents carry the burden of cutting the size of their children’s meals. The challenge of access to nutritious food leads to poor physical and mental health outcomes and hinders a child’s ability to learn. Most consequentially, children in The GrowHaus’ home community of Globeville have a life expectancy of 11 years less than more affluent children only a few miles away. A COMMUNITY-LED APPROACH The GrowHaus hires community members
delves into broader aspects of wellness, including physical activity and connection to the natural world. Local high school students can participate in The GrowHaus’ paid teen program, Seed2Seed, to gain valuable experience in leadership, community advocacy, and food justice work. Members of The GrowHaus’ monthly giving program, También, provide reliable support that allows its team to plan for the future. This special community of supporters also has access to special events and exclusive volunteer opportunities. - Make a Donation GETTING INVOLVED - Join También Donations help The GrowHaus disrupt the root causes of food insecurity by offering low-cost and no-cost food access, holistic education, leadership, and wellness programming. - Purchase a Produce Subscription The GrowHaus’ produce subscription service brings fresh, organic produce to your doorstep. Your purchase will play a critical role in funding The Growhaus’ fresh food access, health and wellness education, and leadership development programs. - Stay Connected Online For information about events and real-time updates sign up to receive The Growhaus’ newsletter by visiting thegrowhaus.org/ newsletter-signup, or follow The GrowHaus on social media @TheGrowHaus.
to develop and lead its programs. When members from the communities served lead, compassion, partnership, and ingenuity are woven into every interaction. When community leads, programs are responsive to neighbors’ needs. - Neighbor-to-Neighbor Home Visits The GrowHaus has seen firsthand the effectiveness of a neighbor-to-neighbor model in promoting health and wellness. The GrowHaus’ Promotoras (Community Health Specialists) lead year-round home visits for neighbors to build healthy habits and community connections. During these visits, neighbors are also connected to other programs and long-term food access solutions like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment support. - Multigenerational Cooking Classes During multigenerational cooking classes, FOOD ACCESS: A BRIDGE TO WELLNESS children and adults come together to create recipes with ingredients found in The GrowHaus’ no-cost food box and build connections around food. A simple cooking class is transformed into a journey of discovery, where nutrition becomes a shared language. - Youth and Teen Programming Children and teens learn lifelong skills, like following recipes and working as a team, and explore their power as emerging community leaders during field trips and independent passion projects. Abejitas, a summer program for children and their caregivers,
Learn more at thegrowhaus.org
8 COLORADO PARENT MAY 2025
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