Tanner’s Healthy Haralson Junior Leadership Team Is Asking Community to ‘Grow a Row’ for Local Food Banks
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Students in Haralson County are reaping what they sow as part of a new community program helping local food banks offer fresh produce to the people they serve.
Healthy Haralson — a committee of Tanner’s Get Healthy, Live Well Coalition — and the Greater Haralson Chamber of Commerce have partnered with Bremen High School and Haralson County High School to revitalize the county’s Haralson Junior Leadership Team.
The team consists of 13 high school seniors who worked together over six months to identify, plan and implement the Grow a Row program, which will help increase access to healthy food options in Haralson County. The goal is to bring students together to ensure they are part of the conversation in the Healthcare Georgia Foundation's Two Georgias Initiative community health equity work.
The "Grow a Row" program is an initiative encouraging community gardeners to plant an extra row of vegetables for those who need access to fresh, nutritious produce.
“It is as easy as growing, harvesting and donating one extra garden row to your local food bank during the growing season,” said Alicia Michael, rural health outreach coordinator for Get Healthy, Live Well. “And if you don’t have a garden, you can still participate by purchasing fresh produce for donation.”
Several locations have agreed to be drop-off sites for the initiative, including Covenant Life Church in Bremen, Sherry’s Tax Service in Buchanan and Community Christian Council in Tallapoosa. Drop off days are Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Haralson Junior Leadership Team members also participated in leadership skills training and team-building activities, which included a photography project that empowers participants to take action and improve the wellbeing of their communities.
Email growarowhc@gmail.com or visit GetHealthyHaralson.org to learn more.