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 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.

Growing Hope is developing a demonstration urban farm & garden called the Growing Hope Center at a property it purchased at 922 West Michigan Avenue just four blocks from downtown Ypsilanti. It's 30 x 96 foot hoophouse is one of the highlights of the project-in-progress.

Growing Hope's Growing Gardens encompasses its gardening programs and serves as an entry point to its other training & resources programs. Groups who are starting or have a school, community, or congregational gardening can become a group member, and individuals or households can join as an individual member.

Among those garden programs that Growing Gardens members can access, the group runs a garden leadership training called the Community and School Gardening Development Institute to aid groups in starting new gardens or expanding or reinvigorating existing gardens. In winter 2010, 15 new teams from all over Washtenaw County participated to start or expand their gardens.

As of 2010, Growing Hope has aided in the development of over 50 gardens. Growing Hope affiliated community gardens in the City of Ypsilanti include:

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

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

Gifts for fundraising: http://growinghope.etsy.com

To contribute or get involved, head to their website.