A community grows in San Francisco

Continuing our monthly feature profiling an emerging San Francisco nonprofit, following is a Q&A with Barbara Wenger of Community Grows (formerly Hayes Valley Neighborhood Parks Group). If your organization is interested in being featured, contact me and tell me a little about your work.

Name of Organization:  CommunityGrows
Executive Director:  Barbara Wenger
Number of staffers:  2
Number of Board members:   3
Mission: With a firm belief in the healing power of nature, CommunityGrows works to improve the wellbeing of under-served youth, through garden and environmental education, healthy cooking, and green jobs training.
Core programs:
Environmental Education classes with John Muir Elementary, and various high schools and youth groups, including afterschool classes and summer programs, such as LetUsGrow Summer Camp for middle school youth
Seed-to-Mouth Cooking Classes - at Hayes Valley Apartments
BEETS Program - a stipended environmental education/green jobs training program for 15 youth ages 13-18 years old
Koshland Park Community Learning Garden - 54 plot community garden for residents of the neighborhood and housing development

Major funders:  
Stewardship Council
The San Francisco Foundation
The Parks Trust
The Koshland Family
The Northern California Grassroots Environmental Fund of the Rose Foundation

Favorite quote or testimonial about your organization:
"With Barbara's leadership over the years, Community Grows has made a major impact on the lives of the people who live here. Our children are finding purpose in their lives by nurturing seedlings and gardens. The gardens the residents maintain as volunteers fill them with pride. All residents, young and old, are finding common ground and ownership in taking back our neighborhood from years of neglect. This organization has played a key role in showing the way-how to provide a vision, create the plan, and lead the people. May other city garden organizations learn from the master!!" —Gail, Great Nonprofits website

What are your indicators of success?
•    Empowered youth who grow into healthy, non-violent, successful environmentalists.
•    The safety and health of neighborhood youth and their families is improved, through engaging activities such as growing, harvesting, eating and sharing healthy produce.
•    Green jobs training is offered to at-risk, ethnically diverse teenagers who can use their skills to benefit the environment and become leaders in the future.
•    The community, especially youth, is educated about the importance of caring for our environment and the natural world, through a variety of educational and fun activities.
•    A deep sense of stewardship for the neighborhood's parks is achieved amongst all of its residents, especially youth, and those who traditionally have little access to neighborhood parks.

What obstacles do you have to work to overcome?
Limited financial resources.

Any important upcoming events or news?
We were the Green Choice Winner of Great  Nonprofits in 2009!

What keeps you going?
The staff, volunteers, board and youth and people we serve.

What do you do to relax?
Go to the movies.
Soak my feet in ice water.

Who’s your personal hero, and why?
•    Patricia Walkup, an extraordinary Hayes Valley community organizer who led many community initiatives in our neighborhood to make it the success it is today.
•    All the funders who support us.
•    All my friends who are fighting their battles to be healthy and thrive.

Favorite (other) local non-profit?
Modern Cooks, Urban Sprouts and Literacy for Environmental Justice.

Favorite local eatery or food:
Chow’s on Church.

Perfect day in San Francisco would be:
Fog rolling in on the bay, light breeze, highs in the 70s.
Working in the Koshland Garden.

For the latest stories on SF nonprofit business, subscribe above to receive regular updates about this column. You can also follow Maureen Futtner & Associates on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. Visit my website to learn about P.R. for the People and the services I offer nonprofits and small businesses.