A Guest Blog from our Grantee Terrence in Illinois

So far so good.  I thought this would be something that was easy.  But much to
my surprise it was hard and easy.  The items we chose to grow were,
strawberries, greens, tomatoes, brocollie, cauliflower, cucumbers, egg plant,
squash, celery, mint tea, cabbage and okra.  When the project got started I told
as many people I could think of.  Among the helpers were my mom, dad, sisters,
aunts, uncles and some close friends.  So far I have learned the importance of
being consistent with maintaining the garden.  I did not know that there were so
many people who liked to garden and eat things that they grew themselves.  My
mom has especially been a big help.  She gives me some of her growing tips which
have helped as well.  While setting up the garden my mom suggested that we try
to make some rain barrels to conserve water.  We had talked about it before we
got started but I was not to interested at first.  But when my dad said he would
help me make them, we started and I have not stopped yet.  Now we have barrels
that equal up to about 160 gallons of water so far.  The other thing that was
great is that I did a little looking around on the internet and ordered insects
that would help to take care of the pest problem so the fruits and vegetables
were good.

Congratulations to Our New Grantees!

We are thrilled to welcome our new grantees to the Katie’s Krops family.

Jamie

Age 15

Tempe, Arizona

 

Halie

Age 11

Tucson, Arizona

 

Ethan

Age 14

Menlo Park, California

 

Natalie

Age 10

Fremont, California

 

Brittney

Age 9

Fort Collins, Colorado

 

Tavyan

Age 9

Denver, Colorado

 

Madison

Age 10

Fort Collins, Colorado

 

"Green Thumb Garden Club"

R.B. Cox Elementary School

Dade City, Florida

Ages 6 to 11

 

Karla

Age 11

Naples, Florida

 

Layla

Age 9

St. Petersburg, Florida

 

Nia

Age 13

Chicago, Illinois

 

Grantee Jodi Curls 6th grade class at Suder Montessori Elementary

Chicago, Illinois

 

Terrence

Age 16

Chicago, Illinois

 

Jaylynn

Age 14

Chicago, Illinois

 

Clarnisha, Jared, Stevante, Jyshua, Myiesha

Ages 10 & 11

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

 

Peyton

Age 14

Cumberland, Maryland

 

Katie

Age 11

Bethesda, Maryland

 

Tarious

Age 13

Detroit, Michigan

 

Mitchell & Michaela

Ages 13 & 12

Maple Grove, Minnesota

 

Olivea

Age 12

Waseca, Minnesota

 

Christina

Age 9

New Hampshire

 

Makenna

Age 12

Greensboro, North Carolina

 

Club Boulevard Humanities Magnet School

Fifth Grade Classes

Durham, North Carolina

 

Emilie

Age 13

Charlotte, North Carolina

 

Jackie, Henry, Danielle & Siddhant

Age 9

Charlotte, North Carolina

 

Marisa & Caitlin

Age 11

North Kingstown, Rhode Island

 

Sofie

Age 12

Newport, Rhode Island

 

Blue Eve

Age 10

South Carolina

 

Ms. Condon’s Homeroom and GATE 6th Grade Science Class DuBose Middle School

Summerville, South Carolina

 

Matilda

Age 9

Taylor, Texas

 

Nate

 Age 11

Texarkana, USA

 

Haven

Age 10

Waco, Texas

 

Shawna & Erika

Ages 12 & 14

Gig Harbor, Washington

 

Jon

Age 12

Monroe, Washington

 

5th grade students at Garfield Elementary School

Garfield Elementary School

Olympia, Washington

 

Zachary

Age 15

Olympia, Washington

 

 

 

 

 

A Guest Blog from our Grantee Nate in Texas

My name is Nate and I got a Katie’s Krops grant to grow a garden beside my parents garden at home to donate to those in need.  About the time we started planting, the food bank partnered with a girl scout to plant a garden as her gold project.  The food bank had not budgeted any money for the garden and they were having a hard time getting tools to start things off.  My parents already had most of what I needed for my garden, so I donated the remainder of by grant to the food bank garden (it was almost the whole thing – we had not spent much yet).  The girl scout met with the local Lowe’s manager and he offered to let her buy supplies ‘at cost’ to help her project.  So she used my gift card and bought A LOT of supplies that we needed (hoses, tools, plants, etc).  She was able to more than double the money buying ‘at cost.’  We had the first planting day at the food bank and 40 volunteers came.  We have planted corn, green beans, squash, cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, black eye peas and herbs so far.  All the volunteers donated extra seeds so we haven’t had to buy any.  We now use facebook to let the volunteers know what is going on and ask for help with weeding, etc.  Other girl scout troops have volunteered to make plant marker signs, potting tables, and other projects the garden will need.  The food will go to those who need it and school groups can come in and learn about healthy eating and growing your own food.  And I still have my little garden at home that I’m donating too!  Thanks Katie!

 

Everyone is Entitled to Their Own Opinion

This blog will not be easy for me to write. I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but nevertheless, it breaks my heart when people make assumptions about the face of hunger and homelessness. Why am I upset? Why am I writing this blog? It’s because of an email sent to me about a month ago.

Generally, emails I receive from people who hear about my work at Katie’s Krops are uplifting and encouraging. Every once in awhile, I receive an email that breaks a little piece of my heart. This was one of those emails. I thought long and hard about how, and if,  I would respond. I decided that my response would be this blog. Will the person who wrote the email ever see this? I doubt it.  That is okay. Will I ever post this blog? I am still not sure.

I will not share the whole email, for it is far too upsetting, but I will share a small part.

 

  ” I was just wondering if anyone is ever going to take the time to tell Katie, as well-meaning as she is with her efforts, that she is wasting her time feeding the “homeless.”  Why not give the food grown to a much more worthy cause, like the elderly living on a very strict, fixed income who at least made an effort to make something of their lives or better,  children of deadbeat parents who made bad choices instead of giving it to the people in society who made conscious choices of drugs, alcohol and chronic laziness to put themselves in the position they are in.”

First, I would like for people to understand the scope of who we help at Katie’s Krops. The majority of people we help with donations of healthy fresh produce from our gardens and through our dinners are not homeless. They are families, like so many who are struggling to put food on their tables because of the loss of a job, a medical condition or for a variety of other reasons.  We provide healthy fresh food to hundreds of senior citizens, Veterans, and disabled individuals. Our gardens grow to assist single parents, grandparents, and great grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren.  And yes, I and Katie’s Krops help homeless individuals and families.  I am proud that we are able to support the homeless.

This is the story of one of the homeless families that Katie’s Krops has helped. This family is a face of homelessness. Two years ago on a stormy night, we met a family who had come to a Katie’s Krops Dinner. The family, who has two small boys and a baby girl, had driven half way across the country for a job and the promise of a better life. When they arrived, the job was gone. They knew no one here. They had no money. They had no support system. This family was living out of their car. As the thunder boomed around us and lightning shot from the sky, the mother of this family broke down in fear, in fear for her family, in fear for her children. They had nowhere to go. The only home they had was their car. It was heart breaking.

Even though both parents found work, they struggled on and off with homelessness for over a year. They lived in their car and in a small motel room on and off. They would come to our Katie’s Krops dinners, often just the dad with the kids while the mom worked the night shift at a local grocery store (when she returned from work, the dad would head out to deliver newspapers in the early hours of the morning). We helped them with food and our volunteers would assist them with clothing and shoes for the kids.  On Christmas Eve, we paid for their hotel room to ensure that they had a roof over their head on Christmas morning.

Finally, after a year of being homeless, they had saved enough to secure an unfurnished house. I was so excited for them! After hearing the news, we helped them furnish the house by asking for donations of furniture on Facebook. Within three days, we had helped the family almost entirely furnish their new house. From beds to sheets, a kitchen table to dishes, our Facebook friends reached out to this family and made their house a home.  It was a great feeling to know that the family had a safe place to stay. They are, they were, the face of homelessness.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. My opinion is that there are so many wonderful people who are struggling in these challenging time. Many of these people find themselves homeless. It is my great privilege to get to know these families, to call them my friends. There is one thing I do know, no e-mail will ever stop me from helping even one of them.

Happy Mother’s Day!

“All that I am I owe to my mother.”

-George Washington

My mom is a huge part of my life. When I count the hours we spend in the garden, traveling and doing all things Katie’s Krops I realized how different my life would be without her. She is not only the most amazing stay at home mom, but she is a full time cheerleader, supporter and hard worker to make my dream come true!

I have so much to thank my mom for. For driving me all over, to dinners, garden work days, events. She can even handle the LA Freeway! For working eighty hour weeks to support me and my efforts to end hunger. Katie’s Krops would not be here today if it weren’t for her. So this Mother’s Day I want to thank my amazing mom for everything she does for me! Thank you for the big, the small, the everything in between! I love you mom!

 

Join Our Volunteer List

If you live in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and would like to volunteer with Katie’s Krops please e-mail us your information at Katie@KatiesKrops.com with the subject line "Volunteer". You will be placed on our volunteer list and receive e-mails with all of our opportunities such as: garden work days, planting days,  food drives to benefit our dinners, and so much more. There are no age restrictions at Katie’s Krops. All are welcome to help.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Oregano-Orange Sauce

We served this dish at our April Katie’s Krops Dinner to rave reviews! Our Head Chef Mr. McNeill created a delcious dish & we are happy to share the recipe.

 4 split chicken breast (bone in)

 Marinade:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup orange juice

1 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

1 Tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary

 Sauce:

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cups of orange juice

1 Tablesppon of fresh chopped Oregano

Salt/pepper to taste

Marinate chicken breasts over night.

 Brown the chicken breasts in a hot skillet, and then place uncovered in a 350 degree oven.  Roast for 30 – 45 min, or until juices from the chicken run clear.   You can also cut the largest breast at its thickest part to check for doneness.

For the gravy, melt butter in a sauce pan.  Add flour and mix with a wire whisk.  Cook the flour/butter briefly (don’t brown the flour).  Whisk in orange juice and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer the sauce until it reaches your desired thickness.  Season to taste w/ salt & pepper, and then add oregano.

  You can serve the chicken breasts with the sauce ladled over them, or remove the meat from the bone & toss with the sauce. Enjoy!

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From the Heart of a Teacher

A guest blog from a very special teacher in Georgia who is part of the Katie’s Krops Family:
From the Heart of a Teacher,
     I want to express my deepest thanks to Katie’s Krops for her continued support of our garden.  Building a garden at school was a dream of mine and through the inspiration of Katie my dream became a reality last year. My students wrote the grant to get the garden started.  It is amazing to watch students get so excited about a project.  When students take ownership and responsibilty for a project it is wonderful to see the results.
     Many children of 2012 do not understand the time, efforts, and nutritional value of growing your own food.  Our garden has been used to develop and design a “Cooking with Kids” club that meets afterschool.  We use items from our garden and we cook nutritional meals to feed the homeless in our area.  Through our club we have served many grateful families.  The value of this experience has meant so much to me as a teacher.  The students are learning life lessons and what it means to give back. It warms my heart to see students paying it forward.  Ms. Babin

The Eclectic Chef & Katie’s Krops are joining together to feed the Lowcountry!

The Eclectic Chef & Katie’s Krops are joining together to feed the Lowcountry! Katie’s Krops is a local non -profit that starts vegetable gardens & donates the harvest to families in need. To help keep Katie’s Krops ‘growing’ The Eclectic Chef will generously donate a portion of ALL purchases to the not-for-profit on:

Wednesday, March 21st

From 9 am to 8 pm

Live music starting at 5pm with performances by

Chelsea Summers & Anna and Amelia Kassing!

 

A dinner buffet option will be available starting at 5pm for $15.00 including tea.

Everyone who dines that day will be entered into a drawing to win exciting prizes.

 

The Eclectic Chef is located at 125 Central Avenue in Historic Downtown Summerville. If you have any questions, call

The Eclectic Chef @ 821.7733

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” — Benjamin Franklin

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember.  Involve me and I learn.” — BenjaminFranklin

 

In 2009 I was only in the fourth grade, but I had a dream, a dream that I could help end hunger by growing vegetable gardens.  My first foray into gardening had resulted in a 40 pound cabbage. I was confident that I could turn my dream into reality, but I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I had the support of my family, but I knew I would need more. I needed a teacher; I needed a Master Gardener.

That year, as the Clemson Exchange Master Gardener class graduated, volunteer opportunities were offered to the new graduates. One opportunity presented was to help a young girl with a small garden. I was that young girl and, well, as most of you now know my garden was anything but small. Lisa Turocy stepped up and offered to help. In March of 2009 I met Ms. Lisa for the very first time in a classroom at my school. I had no idea on that day just how Ms. Lisa would come to change my life and support my dreams.

For the past three years, Ms. Lisa has been by my side, guiding me on my journey to prevent hunger by growing vegetable gardens.  Never telling me what to do, teaching me yes, but most importantly she has involved me every step of the way. Together we have worked plant by plant, row by row, garden by garden to grow my dream. I learned more than I ever could have learned from a book.  Ms. Lisa’s passion for gardening overflows into her work.

No matter the crazy circumstance, my Master Gardener has been up to the challenge. From Disney channel turning our gardening into a ‘television set’ to traveling miles down a bumpy, dirt road to plant new gardens; she is always up for the challenge. Perhaps the most amazing part is, I never realized just how much she has taught me. It wasn’t until I was on a live broadcast in California with world renowned horticulturalist & landscape designer Jamie Durie, that information started to flow from my lips about companion planting, gardening techniques and so much more. It was then that I realized what an amazing teacher Ms. Lisa is. Nothing I spoke of I had ever learned from a book. I learn from doing, from growing side by side with Ms. Lisa.

Thank you will never be enough. I owe Ms. Lisa so much more. She is not only my Master Gardener, my teacher, my fellow Katie’s Krops board member, she is my friend. Never did I image in March of 2009 the journey we would be on together as we grow Katie’s Krops from a school garden to a national not-for-profit. I am blessed that she stepped up that day and said she would help that young girl with her small school garden.  Because… “As the Garden Grows, so grows the Gardener.” Thank you Ms. Lisa!