Area event this Friday and Saturday celebrates 25 years of growing lasting solutions to hunger
Local Corner of Hope effort among U.S. growing projects that have helped raise $47 million to support ag development programs worldwide; Events this weekend in local area include Summer Celebration Saturday at Zion UCC in Waukon
U.S. farmers and their communities are serving locally and making a global impact in partnership with Growing Hope Globally. The year 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the organization. To date, growing projects have raised over $47 million to support agricultural development programs around the world helping those struggling with hunger to help themselves through farming. These programs have served over 2.3 million people across the globe, with the Allamakee County-based Corner of Hope being part of that mission since the beginning of that local effort in 2005.
“The impact these programs are making is amazing. I have had the opportunity to hear firsthand from those who have participated about the way it has changed the quality of their life and the lives of their children,“ said Julie Vulk of the Winneshiek County Community of Hope Growing Project.
Growing Projects bring together farmers, businesses, churches, FFA chapters and communities to grow crops or raise animals, giving everyone the chance to contribute. Money generated locally through the sale of the crops and animals is used to support agricultural development programs, helping families around the world to find lasting solutions to hunger.
Dennis Byrnes of the Corner of Hope Growing Project in Allamakee County said, “It has helped tremendously the people it is supposed to help, but I think it has also done wonders for this community, how it has brought us all together.”
Growing Hope Globally will be holding its annual Summer Celebration in northeast Iowa August 2-3, hosted by the Winneshiek County Community of Hope and Allamakee County Corner of Hope Growing Projects. The event is a way to recognize and celebrate the contributions of communities across the United States who continue to give locally and make a global difference.
Activities will include a Friday afternoon tour of the Northeast Iowa Dairy and Agricultural Center in Calmar; a Friday evening dinner and auction at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds in Decorah; and a Saturday morning and afternoon event at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon, which will feature videos and speakers from the programs Growing Hope Globally supports, opportunities to learn more about Growing Projects and much more. All events but the tour in Calmar are free and the public is welcome to attend but registration is required at www.growinghopeglobally.org/event/summer-celebration-2024/.
“Our local Growing Projects are excited to host our Summer Celebration here in Iowa,” said Mark Swanson, Growing Hope Globally Regional Director, “We are looking forward to seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and celebrating the impact this organization has made over the past 25 years.”
Growing Hope Globally Fast Facts
• Growing Hope Globally currently has 116 Growing Projects serving in communities spread across 20 U.S. states.
• Growing Projects have raised $47 million since 1999, raising $1.9 Million in 2023.
• Growing Hope Globally currently supports 46 agricultural development programs in 30 countries.
Summer Celebration Fast Facts
• Friday, August 2 events:
- 3 p.m. - Tour of Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agricultural Center (NIDAC) at 1527 State Highway 150, Calmar. $5 admission fee paid directly to NIDAC, cash strongly preferred.
- 6-9 p.m. - Summer Celebration Dinner & Auction at Winneshiek County Fairgrounds, 900 East Main Street, Decorah. Dinner will include the local Growing Project’s famous pork chops and other delicious items. Enjoy a fun evening with bluegrass music, fellowship and an auction.
• Saturday, August 3 events:
- 9 a.m.-3 p.m. - Summer Celebration at Zion United Church of Christ, 113 1st Street NE in Waukon. A Celebration of 25 years of growing lasting solutions to hunger. Hear from global partners and local growing projects. Lunch will be included.
• To register online, visit GrowingHopeGlobally.org/event/summer-celebration-2024/
• Admission is free for Friday evening and Saturday events. Freewill offering accepted.
Ecumenical Worship Service offers even more
Sunday, August 4, Zion United Church of Christ will be joining with First Presbyterian Church and St. Paul’s United Methodist Church for an ecumenical worship service at 9 a.m. at Zion United Church of Christ. For those who were not able to attend the Growing Hope Globally celebration events this Friday night or Saturday, Sunday’s ecumenical service will offer an additional opportunity to hear more about the Growing Hope Globally organization during the sermon time. For those who did attend one of those prior events, Sunday’s service will also give them a time to hear about some of the work being done in Central and South America through the organization.
About Growing Hope Globally
Founded in 1999 as Foods Resource Bank, Growing Hope Globally started when Ohio Farmers Vernon and Carol Sloan invited their neighbors to become part of the solution to world hunger by shipping corn from their fields to developing countries. They quickly learned shipping was too costly - nearly 15 times the cost of the grain itself - and would wreak havoc on local farmers and markets.
Needing a new idea, they sat down with a handful of Christian organizations that fund and run international food security programs. Their unique solution: Use the proceeds from crops raised and sold in the U.S. to fund agricultural development programs overseas. That seed of an idea has blossomed into a network of community Growing Projects in more than 20 states. Together, these Growing Projects have served over 2.3 million people across the globe and helped them to grow lasting solutions to hunger.
