[PRESS RELEASE] Plant It Forward Reaches Goal for Inaugural Community Partners’ Fund
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2017
Plant It Forward Reaches Goal for Inaugural Community Partners’ Fund
Funds raised will be put toward a fall urban farming business course for refugees
HOUSTON, TX. (June 30, 2017)
Plant It Forward Farms (PIFF) successfully met the fundraising goal for the Inaugural Community Partners’ Fund by the campaign end date of Friday, June 30, 2017. The two month long fundraising campaign was created to raise funds for urban farming business training for refugees in Houston. The inaugural campaign goal was to raise $15,000, which was then matched equally by The Good People Fund and an anonymous donor. The 57 generous contributors are listed on the PIFF website. The Community Partners’ Fund campaign was conceived by PIFF co-founder and Vice President Teresa O’Donnell and will reoccur annually, May 1 – June 30.
The $30,075 raised in 2017 will be put toward PIFF’s next next urban farming business course for resettled refugees (aka new Houstonians) to be held in October 2017. Up to 24 prospective farmers will be given the opportunity to participate in the yearlong training course. Applications will be accepted from mid-July through the end of August 2017. PIFF anticipates receiving applications from prospective farmers who are originally from countries such as Cameroon, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Syria.
“We are gratified by the generosity of the contributors and matching donors to our inaugural Community Partners’ Fund! The amount raised will go a long way in covering expenses for our next urban farmer training course. We’ve already begun hearing from prospective urban farmers who are eager to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions and literally plant roots in Houston.” – Liz Vallette, President, Plant It Forward
“Thank your farmers for all the great things they bring to Houston!” – Community Partners’ Fund contributor
PIFF’s urban farming business course is an immersive educational experience designed for resettled refugees in Houston, Texas, who want to become self-sufficient through meaningful, entrepreneurial work. The training program lasts for one year and meets weekly for 132 hours of training. Successful graduates will be given an urban farm plot to launch their farming business. PIFF’s current Master Farmers will contribute their lessons-learned to the curriculum and may provide instruction on various topics, along with input and instruction from PIFF staff and local subject matter experts. Details on the next course will be posted on the PIFF website in mid-summer 2017.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Daniella Lewis
(713) 432-0754
daniella@plant-it-forward.org
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About Plant It Forward
Founded in 2011, Plant It Forward Farms is a Houston-based a nonprofit organization with the mission to help resettled refugees find meaningful work and earn fair wages through urban farming business opportunities. Houston settles more refugees than any other city in the country and we help those refugees become self-reliant entrepreneurs who can support their families and help our city grow. We provide refugees with the tools, training, and business skills needed to become entrepreneurial urban farmers. The farmers, in turn, provide Houstonians with locally grown, chemical-free, fresh produce at farm stands, farmers’ markets, restaurants, and through weekly farm share subscriptions. Learn more at www.plant-it-forward.org.
Connect with PIFF on social media:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PlantItForwardFarms
Twitter: www.twitter.com/HoustonFarms
Instagram: www.instagram.com/plantitforward
