Hope Blooms Youth Social Entrepreneurial Ventures Inc.
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Mission Statement
Hope Blooms engages youth, ages 5 through to 18 years in marginalized communities in actualizing their full potential, becoming positive agents of change in their communities and building bright futures through experiential education. Collaboratively, we create innovative youth driven impact in food security, social inclusion, education, and environmental stewardship within the high needs community the youth in. Since 2008, Hope Blooms has provided a safe space for youth in Halifax’s inner city to grow their own food and provide food gardens for and mentor over 70 families; collaboratively build an award-winning off-the-grid greenhouse; and operate a commercial kitchen and food hub where culinary training, community suppers, celebrations, and youth based agri-food social entrepreneurship training takes place. Within a context of long term impact for generational change, youth join Hope Blooms when they are 5 years of age and graduate when they are 18 years at which time they receive a yearly renewed scholarship from the proceeds of their salad dressing social enterprise. Once graduated, youth become part of our alumni mentorship program and provide ongoing mentorship to our young leaders in training. Hope Blooms has found that when people come together to create a positive impact in the communities in which they live, the social determinants of health are directly impacted, particularly education, food security, social inclusion, and safety support networks. We have created a social entrepreneurial environment where people, regardless of age or socio-economic status, can work together to build capacity, friendship, inclusion, and employment while giving back to the community. Hope Blooms, created in a low socio-economic community that has experienced generations of racialized poverty, brings people of diverse ethnicities, cultures and generations together around food to build community, create safety support networks, food security, social innovation and agri-based social entrepreneurship development and has youth from the community leading the way.
About This Cause
Hope Blooms, a Registered Charity, engages youth, ages 5 through to 18 years in marginalized communities in actualizing their full potential, becoming positive agents of change in their communities and building bright futures through experiential education. Collaboratively, we create innovative youth driven impact in food security, social inclusion, education, and environmental stewardship within the high needs community the youth in. Since 2008, Hope Blooms has provided a safe space for youth in Halifax’s inner city to grow their own food and provide food gardens for and mentor over 70 families; collaboratively build an award-winning off-the-grid greenhouse; and operate a commercial kitchen and food hub where culinary training, community suppers, celebrations, and youth based agri-food social entrepreneurship training takes place. Within a context of long term impact for generational change, youth join Hope Blooms when they are 5 years of age and graduate when they are 18 years at which time they receive a yearly renewed scholarship from the proceeds of their salad dressing social enterprise. What began with a small plot of land has grown into a youth-driven movement with over 70 youth from diverse ethnicities. Youth have created 10,000 square feet of organic food gardens where they grow food for their community and mentor over 60 community members in family garden plots; an award-winning off-the-grid greenhouse designed by our youth; and our Global Kitchen for Social Change commercial kitchen and food hub where culinary training, community suppers, celebrations, and salad dressing production take place. Hope Blooms Core Values: ● Youth growing to be inclusive and impactful community leaders - more than 70 youth grow over 3000 pounds of organic produce yearly in and for their community; grow pride and a sense of belonging in community; grow a social enterprise that builds brighter futures, from the ground up, while giving back to the community. ● Fostering culturally relevant and collaborative ecosystems with integrity- Inclusivity and embracing diversity are core to everything we do, from welcoming new neighbors with open arms to inviting friends from all walks of life to take part in our programming. We collaborate with mentors from our local universities, community colleges, elementary, junior high and high schools, as well as many local restaurants, businesses, and organizations. ● Innovation in food and urban agriculture education- From hands-on skill-building in culinary and urban agriculture to designing and operating an off-the-grid greenhouse, youth have access to a suite of non-traditional educational programming. Working with mentors, youth take the lead in being stewards of our environment; learn best practices in organic food growing, ecosystems, and permaculture gardening; and sit on committees related to food and the environment. ● Coaction- Relationships -Hope Blooms has found that when people come together to create a positive impact in the communities in which they live, the social determinants of health are directly impacted, particularly education, food security, social inclusion, and safety support networks. We have created a social entrepreneurial environment where people, regardless of age or socio-economic status, can work together to build capacity and employment while giving back to the community. Our Programming: Hope Blooms programming is carried out within a framework of inspiring excellence in our thoughts and actions and fostering culturally diverse relationships that span multi generations and ethnicities. Our core education programming includes: Youth Organic Urban Agriculture program Youth Culinary Arts program Mentorship and Tutoring Program Flourishing Families Collective Kitchens Food and Cultural Arts Program Youth Led Social Entrepreneursip and Scholarship program Elementary School Food Programs Mental Health Support and Counselling Summer youth food and social entrepreneurship camps Empowered Women Blossom (Elders in community mentorship) Recent Awards: • Named United Nations Ambassadors for The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2019. • Social Innovator of the Year 2018 – Harold Crowell Award • Ernst and Young Special Citation Social Entrepreneur Of The Year Atlantic Canada - 2016 • Governor General – Meritorious Service Medal - 2016 • Lieutenant Governor’s Architecture Award for Outstanding Design in Greenhouse – 2016 (research and development for design and off the grid materials conducted by Hope Blooms youth Kolade Boboye and Bocar Wade) • The Coast - Gold Winner Best Community Initiative - 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018,2019 • CBC’s Dragons Den top pitches of all time -2016 (youth who pitched were 10 years to 14 years of age Brief summary of Impact: Food Security: Over the past 12 years youth have grown over 36,000 pounds of organic vegetables and fruit for community members dealing with food insecurity, all free of charge and deliver on their cargo bike within North End Halifax. We have a community food hub where on a monthly basis we serve over 300 healthy meals and 350 healthy snacks to community members in the Inner city we serve. We have a farm exchange program throughout the Annapolis Valley and collaborate in helping farmers with their CSA and in return receive organic produce weekly that our youth donate to over 30 Syrian Newcomer families that now live in our community. We have expanded our food gardens from 1200 square feet in 2008 to 10,000 square feet in 2020; going from 6 food gardens to 82 food gardens. Hope Blooms creates and delivers weekly food literacy /cooking skills training workshops; monthly large community suppers, and weekly free soup deliveries to seniors in the community that youth prepare from produce grown in their gardens, year round. Community Confidence & Inclusion: In research completed last year, 100 % of respondents indicated that they believe that having a plot in Hope Blooms garden has increased their ability to provide healthy food for their families. 99% of respondents felt a greater sense of belonging in their community since participating in the Hope Blooms garden and programs. 92% of respondents indicated that their level of community involvement has improved since joining the garden. We have grown from engaging 6 youth to now engaging 72youth long term (programming goes from age 5 years through to 18 years with levels of programming tailored for age and experiential learning modalities). We have now grown to include multi-generational programs with seniors, 120 families (including 35 newcomer families from Syria, Somali, and India) all volunteering with Hope Blooms and growing food, relationships, and community. We share our commercial kitchen, provide mentorship and ongoing support, free of charge, with community members, who now have started their own social enterprises. Every youth who has graduated from Hop Blooms and gone onto to post secondary, returns back each summer to work in Hope Blooms and provide mentorship to younger youth year round. They have created an Alumni program in 2018 to continue with providing mentorship and support monthly to younger youth in Hope Blooms. Education: All youth involved in Hope Blooms who have graduated, are in post secondary and attending Universities in Canada and United States. They are all the first in their families to be attending post secondary. In 2016, four of our youth received their Masters Organic Gardeners Certification - the youngest in Canada to receive this University credit. University of Toronto has conducted research Hope Blooms; published a case study on At Risk Youth and the benefits of social enterprise and has been incorporated into Social Finance curriculum for Social Finance at University of Toronto for 2018. Dalhousie School of Health Promotion has conducted research this past year to measure impact through the lens of the youth parent (s)/ guardians. P