Non-Profit Mission: A community- centered approach that strives to bridge the gap in traditional schooling, teaches self-sufficiency, and promotes altruism within our local community. At ROOTS Community Initiative, we are sowing the seeds of empowerment, growth, and unity in our community. Our non-profit organization is dedicated to creating a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable world for all. We
envision a world where every individual has the opportunity to thrive, connect with nature, and contribute to a more compassionate and sustainable society. Our community is a diverse tapestry of people, abilities, and backgrounds, and we celebrate this diversity by nurturing an environment of understanding and collaboration. Join us at ROOTS Community Initiative as we grow together, cultivate hope, and foster connections that will last a lifetime. Current Community-Based Initiatives:
1. Job Readiness Program through Care Farming
2. Family-centered Community Service Projects
3. Homeschooling Community & Resource Building
4. Educational Self-Sufficiency Workshops
5. Yoga, Mindfulness, and Social-emotional Learning
ROOTS Community Initiative is partnered with Red Wiggler Care Farm, Care Farming Network, Trauma Specialists LLC, Child Inspired Youth Therapeutic Services, and Autism DE through POW&R Program. ROOTS Community Initiative Vision of Care Farming:
At our serene homestead, we offer a unique job readiness program that equips adults & youth with practical skills and a nurturing environment. Through hands-on experience caring for animals, cultivating gardens, participants develop confidence, independence, and a sense of purpose. We will continue to work with Red Wiggler & other care farms alike to bring much needed programming to our community, with your help! ROOTS Community Initiative was built on the platform of a very successful LLC-- ROOTS Youth+ Development Program. ROOTS YDP has been in business for over 2yrs and had exponential growth from 30 students to over 500 students across all programming within just 2yrs! The demand for our programming just keeps increasing and we started to see SO many other ways to help our community beyond just workshops on our homestead. We wanted to take out the financial barrier, increase access of our programming to all, and begin to offer FREE programming to full families through multi-generational learning! So, our new non-profit was born---ROOTS Community Initiative! Beyond simply educating & community building, we have a strong passion for mentoring youth and young adults to build a strong foundation in order to create the life they would like to live. We have done this by mentoring a few young adults & teens on our homestead through teaching executive functioning & job skills. We have piloted this program on a small level with a handful of young adults/teens over the course of the last 2yrs with incredibly GREAT success and wonderful feedback. We are excited to take our program to the next level by officially expanding its reach. This includes involving more participants, developing tailored curriculum, establishing partnerships with professional organizations, broadening job opportunities, enhancing mentoring activities, and securing funding. Our aim is to significantly scale up this job readiness program to provide over 500 hours of mentoring to numerous individuals in 2024! Your donations will directly contribute to realizing this ambitious goal, empowering our community and enabling us to positively impact countless lives through this initiative. Join us in making a difference today! ---->https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=YQXJS2ZLE27WC
In collaboration with Red Wiggler.....
What Is Care Farming? Care Farming is the therapeutic use of farming practices for marginalized or vulnerable groups of people. This model is common in the UK and Europe and goes by varying names, including Care Farming, Social Farming, and Social Care Farming. Why focus on Care Farming for Individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Differences (I/DD)?:
In the United States, individuals with I/DD have been historically underserved. 81% of adults with developmental differences do not have a paid job in the community, and only 36% of the public believes that people with intellectual differences are capable of being leaders. Do all Care Farms focus on the I/DD community?:
Care Farms may serve people with mental health problems, those with a drug or alcohol addiction, individuals on probation, Veterans, Seniors, Youth, or individuals with I/DD [Cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, or Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs)]. Establishing a Care Farming Network:
As of 2020, Red Wiggler has identified 38 farms from 20 different states in the United States that work specifically with adults with I/DD. Until recently, space for these farms to come together to learn from each other and advance the field did not exist. Care Farming is just starting to grow in the US. Information from Red Wiggler Success (Red Wiggler is our Mentor)
Since 1996, Red Wiggler has provided meaningful employment to adults with I/DD. We employ 15 Growers with I/DD throughout the year. Growers are paid minimum wage ($12.50/hour) or higher, and most work part time Monday through Friday. We believe in the dignity of earning a paycheck by doing meaningful work, and Growers gain a professional identity as farmers. In addition to the inherent therapeutic benefit of working with soil and experiencing plants growing from seeds and hard work, Growers find meaning in their ability to give back to the community through the growing and distribution of healthy food. Red Wiggler provides a setting for individuals with special needs to be teachers and leaders. Twelve Growers have worked at Red Wiggler for more than 8 years and teach new volunteers how to farm, what the growing season looks like, how to use a rake, and what a kohlrabi is.
