Joliet, IL- The Warren-Sharpe Community Center is an amazing place located in South Joliet, Illinois. The force behind the success of the center is CEO and Accidental Farmer, Kay Bolden.
Through education, volunteers, and community involvement, the center accomplishes so much. The neighborhood children help to grow vegetables in their extensive garden. The children are taught about Victory Gardens, the Three-Sister technique, raised beds, and vegetables of all types.
The food helps feed children attending the after school care programs and the summer camps. The children have learned about the nutrition of the food they grow. this naturally led to learning how to enjoy eating salads and cooking. All of this hard work can be fun, especially when it's followed by cooking and eating! The gardens also provide food for a food pantry supporting 600+ people. It s an extremely busy and productive place.
If this sounds like a project Michelle Obama would love, it's true. A group of fifteen children and adults were invited to visit Michelle's vegetable gardens at the White House. What an opportunity for them! Once again, businesses from the Joliet area pitched in thanks to Kay's contacts and persistence. Off they went on a road trip which included visiting historical sites, a fun time at a water park, and a visit to the White House gardens. A book entitled Veggie Casserole: Kids Cook the Darndest Things! By Kay Bolden and the Kid in the Kitchen includes information about the trip, thank you notes to Mrs. Obama, and recipes. See their website at Warren-SharpeCommunityCenter.org.
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