Youth Wellness Program for Refugees and Immigrants

by Village Exchange Center

Project Report | Jul 6, 2020
Underserved Youth in the Time of COVID 19

By Amanda Blaurock | Executive Director and Co-Founder

Intergenerational Farming

This has been an unprescedented time for all of us and in addition to the disproportionate impact of COVID 19 on underserved populations, the youth may be the least equipped to handle the isolation and ramifications of this pandemic.

At Village Exchange Center we recognize these inequities and have decided to launch the VIllage Farms at Stanley Marketplace and our Village Summer Camps. This is a wellness social enterprise that will serve VEC’s mission by bridging community silos between the various socioeconomic communities in Northwest Aurora and Northeast Denver. We do this through growing food, cooking, eating, and celebrating our diversity of cultural, culinary, and agricultural practices.

We believe food has the power to transcend all cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic differences and bring us together. This project stems directly from the community-identified need to create economic opportunities in the agricultural field while also providing food access.

In just two months we have built out 16, fifty foot farm beds and a pumpkin patch and Monday are launching our Village Summer Camps. This camp will run for 4 weeks throughout July and is an effort to create equity for our youth by providing free access to the camps in a COVID 19 conscious outdoor environment. We provide extensive farming and sports programs and free lunch from 9am to 2pm.

Please consider sponsoring this intergenerational social enterprise and our youth through the following opportunities:

Community Gardens Sponsorship

- Raised Beds ($7,000 each) – branding rights on the North and South sides of the beds (50 ft long).
- Modular training and event facilities ($30,000)
- Hydroponic farming containers ($65,000 each)
Summer Camp Program Sponsorship
- Sponsor an APS ACTION Zone Camper ($350/week)
- Program materials for educational activities and camper safety (contact us for a complete wish list)
Vocational Apprenticeship Sponsorship
- Employment opportunities in agriculture or culinary industry for apprentices
- 1 month of training for a farmer apprentice ($1000)

Thank you for following this project and being an important part of our community!

Guardian Fox Living on our Farm

Links:

http://www.villageexchangecenter.org

Attachments:

Village Summer Camp (PDF)

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