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Huge Thanks to the Graesser Foundation at Tucson Foundations for Their Generous Gift of $25,000!

We were honored this past December with an incredibly generous gift of $25,000 awarded by the Graesser Foundation, administered by Tucson Foundations.  The grant will be used for CGT’s general operations, setting the stage for what will be a transformative chapter in our organization’s history and that builds on a comprehensive organizational assessment just completed by Evan Mendelson Consulting, also funded by Tucson Foundations. 

 The assessment evaluated CGT’s (1)General Operations and Administrative Management, (2)Diversity, Partnerships and Collaboration, (3)Board Governance, (4)Financial Viability, and (5)Resource Development, and provides the basis for developing a set of clearly defined actionable items and timeline for CGT’s continued growth and maturation this year. 

The Board and staff of CGT express our deepest thanks and appreciation to Tucson Foundations for their continued investment in our organization, and for their commitment to fostering a strong, vibrant and effective nonprofit community in Tucson.

 

 

Thank you Pima County Fleet Services Administration

A huge “Thank You!” to Pima County Fleet Services Administration for the donation of a 2009 Ford Ranger pickup truck to Community Gardens of Tucson. Special thanks to Fleet Services staff Ray Ochotorena, Bob Charlton, and Cecilia Murch for their help throughout the transfer process.

Now, instead of our staff having to use their own vehicles to haul compost, mulch, garden waste, tools, and other items to our community gardens, they can do it safely and efficiently in our very own truck!

Thank you all for seeing the value in CGT’s mission, programs, and commitment to making Tucson a better place to live!

 

Fry's Donates $15,000 to Help Fight Food Insecurity

The donation check was presented during a community gardening revitalization event at CGT’s Pio Decimo Garden.

 Watch the news story on KOLD TV!

Thanks to this $15,000 grant from The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger |Zero Waste Foundation  we will be able to reach two important goals:

1) Provide 30 families, totaling approximately 100 individuals (parents, children, siblings and other relatives) with the instruction, wisdom, support, hands-on expertise, and resources to become lifelong gardeners and stewards of our Sonoran desert environment.  We will achieve this outcome by teaching families the basics of desert gardening: all that is required to successfully plant, nurture, and harvest their produce and to then prepare and cook the food they have grown. Our ultimate goal for this project is to instill the confidence and the knowledge for families to be able to leave the camp and successfully garden on their own.
2) Through our Adopt a Garden Sponsorship, we will dramatically improve and rejuvenate eight of CGT’s community gardens so that their productivity and social benefits are maximized for our gardeners.  In addition to addressing critical infrastructure needs – such as irrigation drip lines and shade cloth to protect plants from the summer heat – we also expect to better serve those who have limited mobility by increasing the number of “raised beds,” as well as procuring gardening equipment designed for elderly and folks with physical challenges.  By improving our gardens and promoting the good will of Kroger through signage and other public communications tools, we will attract more gardeners to our organization which will, in turn, provide critical new financial resources so that our gardens, and ultimately our communities, thrive!

 

Thank you to the Tucson Foundations

Deepest thanks to the Tucson Foundations, directed by the Lohse Family, for funding this year’s license renewal to Catchafire, provided through the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona. Catchafire offers worldwide access to professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to nonprofits. With help from a Catchafire expert we were able to create our new website, do a comprehensive review and revision of our Vision, Mission and Values statements, and benefit from expert advice about a wide range of issues.

The Tucson Foundation‘s partnership with the CFSA will strengthen not only CGT’s programs but those of Tucson’s entire nonprofit sector.

CGT awarded National AARP Community Challenge Grant

We’re one of 6 AZ organizations and 244 in the country to receive this award! Funding will go to our Blue Moon Community Garden to strengthen infrastructure, provide new programming, and increase outreach to Tucson House residents to build their local food knowledge and participation in Blue Moon Community Garden. Watch a video about the AARP Community Grants.

 

Thank you to the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation

Our deepest thanks and heartfelt appreciation to the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation for their generous financial support to establish our Garden Literacy Project. CGT will use these funds to establish a Garden Literacy Program to connect students and teachers in their daily classroom activities to the garden. Students will learn where food comes from, how to grow it, and find joy while doing it! We’ll also create pollinator gardens for kids to learn the importance of biodiversity and natural habitats. Thanks for investing in our children’s future!

Thank you Whole Kids Foundation

Our deepest thanks and heartfelt appreciation to the Whole Kids Foundation for their generous support of our Edible Educational Garden Project conducted in partnership with Mary Meredith K-12 School. This project will help us develop an exciting, innovative and sustainable learning space for the school’s students, creating a “learning garden” and a gardening curriculum for teachers and students to expand their learning experiences in a safe and welcoming gardening environment.

Purchase these beautiful cards and support CGT

Artist Sandy Smith, also a CGT gardener, has designed greeting cards from images she has taken in our gardens that show the beauty that desert gardens offer.  50% of each sale is being contributed back to CGT so your purchases directly help CGT’s bottom line, in addition to giving you great gifts or cards to send to others.

You can purchase these cards ($15/package – 6 cards/envelopes) at the following places throughout Tucson:

Thank you to Costco Wholesale!

Our deepest thanks for awarding CGT a $50.00 gift card to Costco Wholesale. Your generous financial support will underwrite a portion of the costs of our Annual Members meeting that will be held later this year to honor our volunteers and to celebrate the important work and service that CGT provides our community. We appreciate your support!

See the Full List of Our Supporting Organizations

We are very grateful to our supporting organizations! Please see our full aknowledgements here!

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Community Gardens of Tucson

5049 E Broadway, Suite 300
Tucson, AZ 85711
520-795-8823
admin@communitygardensoftucson.org

CGT recognizes the historical injustices perpetrated upon the Indigenous people of the Tucson Basin. We honor and celebrate the cultures and contributions of those whose land we now garden on.

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