After reviewing the applications, Moonflower’s Seeds to Start grant committee is pleased to announce our fall 2021 grant recipient, Grand Area Mentoring!
Grand Area Mentoring is a school–based mentoring program that serves youth from kindergarten through 12th grade. The program matches carefully screened adult volunteers with children seeking friendship and guidance. Mentors and mentees meet weekly for one hour and in these sessions build positive relationships, strengthen the mentee’s self-esteem, and help the student form a better attachment to school.
From this local non-profit: “Mission: By supporting healthy relationships between responsible adults and marginalized children, it is the mission of Grand Area Mentoring to help students discover their potential, participate successfully in the academic and public worlds, and become lifelong learners. Vision: We envision a world where at-risk youth grow up to be respectful members of society and raise healthy, happy families.”
Grand Area Mentoring plans to use these funds to implement a “Seeds for Mentees” project. The funds will provide gift cards for mentors to bring mentors and mentees into Moonflower to create a unique bonding experience and learn about natural foods, healthy cooking, and local food systems. The pairs will be able to purchase food to eat during other mentoring experiences, such as snacks for a hike or picnic and ingredients to cook a healthy meal together.
We are excited to see mentors and mentees at Moonflower and help educate some of our valuable Moab youth about local, sustainable, socially responsible foods!
Our biannual Seeds to Start grant funds aims to assist non-profit applicants seeking funding for a high-impact project or purchase focused on expanding community food security, promoting environmental justice, and/or directly benefiting underrepresented communities in need. Learn more about the grant program here.