Green Patch Community Garden in Mound Hope Wins $20,000 Grant

By: May. 18, 2017
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Green Patch on Walton-one of NYC Parks' GreenThumb community gardens-has been selected as a winner of the national Meet Me at the Park campaign and will receive a $20,000 grant from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and The Walt Disney Company, including Disney Citizenship, Disney|ABC Television Group and ESPN. Community members voted for the winning project throughout Earth Month in April.

Meet Me at the Park helps to revitalize and restore local parks and park programs across the country. These park projects will connect kids to nature, inspire healthy living, and provide access to sports. The campaign was promoted on social media, ABC Television Network, ABC-owned and affiliate stations, Freeform, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, the ABC app and other digital platforms.

GreenThumb's Green Patch community garden was one of 16 park improvement projects selected to receive grant funding. The $20,000 grant will restore the overrun Bronx community garden by increasing the number of raised plant beds, creating pathways in the garden, installing a new shed and rain water harvesting system, providing seating and tables, gardening tools, and many vegetables, fruit trees and ornamental plants. The garden's massive tree canopy-which blocks light and prevents plants from growing-will be pruned to allow for plant growth.

"This generous grant will bring Green Patch back to life," said William LoSasso, Director of NYC Parks' GreenThumb. "The garden will offer hands-on learning opportunities and a chance for Mount Hope residents to grow their own food-an invaluable addition to this historically underserved community."

The renovation will begin this month and continue throughout the summer. Green Patch on Walton will also offer youth workshops that teach kids about plants, gardening and the benefits of a plant-based diet.

"Nearly 70,000 people participated in this year's Meet Me at the Park campaign, a record number, demonstrating a tremendous amount of support and enthusiasm for local parks nationwide," said Lori Robertson, NRPA director of conservation. "Many children and families in need will benefit from this campaign, which was made possible by the generosity of The Walt Disney Company. We want to thank them for helping us give back to the communities our members so proudly support."

For more information about GreenThumb gardens, visit www.greenthumbnyc.org. For more information about the winning Meet Me at the Park projects visit NRPA.org/Disney.

To learn more about Meet Me at the Park, visit www.nrpa.org/disney.

The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all Americans have access to parks and recreation for health, conservation and social equity. Through its network of nearly 60,000 recreation and park professionals and advocates, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA's flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.



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