Growing Hope is a nonprofit based in Ypsilanti dedicated to helping people improve their lives and communities through gardening and healthy food access. Growing Hope works with groups around Washtenaw County interested in starting neighborhood gardens or school gardens, teaches cooking and nutrition workshops, builds and sells worm bins and rain barrels, and, in 2006, organized a new Downtown Ypsilanti Farmer's Market|farmers market in downtown Ypsilanti to increase healthy food access and contribute to community revitalization. In 2009 total customer visits were over 15,000 and total market sales over $108,000.

The group runs a Community and School Gardening Development Institute to aid groups in starting new gardens; starred gardens in the list below are new to the 2007 growing season after participating in the fall 2006 CSGDI. Growing Hope-supported gardens are required to participate in Plant A Row For The Hungry, and offer a sliding scale for garden membership fees.

Growing Hope affiliated school gardens include:

• Perry Learning Garden
• Head Start Seeds of Learning Garden
• Willow Run Alternative High School Garden*
• Ypsilanti West Middle School Garden

Growing Hope affiliated community gardens include:

• Chidester Place Community Garden
• SOS Community Services Crisis Center Garden
• Midtown/Dawn Farm Community Garden (Congress Street west of Summit Street)
• Recreation Park Community Garden
• Frog Island Park Community Garden*
• Saline Community Garden*

Official website: http://www.growinghope.net

To contribute or get involved, head to their website.