Milwaukee – May 4, 2009 – The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, one of the nation’s largest charitable organizations, has announced that Growing Power Inc. will receive $400,000 for a plan to create sustainable jobs among vulnerable urban populations.
The project, called Growing Capacity for the Green Economy, aims to prepare people for work in fields including intensive agriculture, renewable energy and environmental education. Growing Power, based in Milwaukee and with a projects office in Chicago, will not only expand its efforts in those cities, it will also extend its outreach operations to partners in Detroit.
“What we call the green sector of the economy is the only sector that is growing right now, not shrinking,” said Growing Power founder and CEO Will Allen. “But few of those green jobs are going to the people and places that need them most.”
Allen said that green industry jobs are generally considered high-tech, high-skilled positions, “but that doesn’t have to be the case. With this grant (from Kellogg), we hope to show that there is a place in the green economy for people with few skills or little education starting out.”
Allen pointed out that creating a community food system involves many skills and disciplines besides tending food crops. Workers learn about operating and maintaining equipment and energy systems, food processing, packaging, distribution, marketing, and accounting, among other things.
Growing Power has built or fostered a number of community food systems across the country and is in the process of creating several national and regional training centers. But the opportunity to work in Detroit is particularly gratifying.
“Detroit has been so hard-hit, and the need there is so great,” Allen said. “A number of the people on my own staff have ties to Detroit, and the Kellogg Foundation, being based in (Battle Creek) Michigan, had a strong interest in seeing us work there. So it feels good for all of us to reach out a helping hand.”
Media release seen and picked up from Growing Food and Justice Initiative (GFJI) list serve.
For further inquiry, contact Sarah Christman, Growing Power Inc.
sarah at growingpower dot org
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