Here at Americans Helping Americans® we place a high value on the self-sustainability of the programs we support. That is why, this year thanks to your generous donations, we are able to provide a cash grant to Cumberland Mountain Outreach, our partner in Beattyville, Kentucky, to help them expand their gardening program.
Cumberland Mountain Outreach partners with organizations including the University Of Kentucky Department Of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Office and Grow Appalachia to provide training to families and individuals with a little plot of land on how to best use it for organic gardening.
While education is vital in providing information on efficient gardening techniques, if the family doesn’t have the money to purchase vegetable seeds and plants, it is all for naught .
That’s where you and Americans Helping Americans® comes in. Upon completion of the gardening workshops, clients of Cumberland Mountain Outreach are eligible for a $75 grant to purchase the seed and plants they need in order to have a prosperous garden.
As Cumberland Mountain Outreach Executive Director Cindy Evanoff told us during a visit there in August, not only does a garden provide nutritious food on the table and lead to self-sufficiency, it also instills pride in all members of the family, even the youngest, when they enjoy the bounty of tomatoes, corn, beans and strawberries on their table – all picked fresh, straight out of their very own garden.
In addition, the University of Kentucky in partnership with Cumberland Mountain Outreach, also offers classes on canning and preserving so the gardeners can enjoy the fruits and vegetables even into the cold winter months.
