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We are very excited to announce a new partnership that will help us continue to grow. Starting today, October 9th, BI-LO and Dole will support our efforts to empower kids to end hunger, one vegetable garden at a time. For the next two-weeks, everytime you purchase three pounds, or more, of Dole Banannas at your local BI-LO store, a donation will be made to Katie’s Krops. When you stop by buy to purchase your Dole Banannas, we would love if you could stop by the BI-LO customer service counter and thank them for helping us grow. This promotion will run until October 22nd. A big thank you to BI-LO and Dole for supporting our efforts.

Three years ago, our Founder, Katie, who at the time was only 12-years-old, attempted to make a delivery of fresh produce from her Katie’s Krops Gardens to the only full-time soup kitchen in Summerville. She found a note on the door which read that due to financial issues, the soup kitchen had to shut their doors. Knowing how many people in our community needed access to free, healthy meals, Katie, along with the support of her friends, teachers, parents and the head of food services at her school, created ‘The Katie’s Krops Dinner,’ a garden to table dinner for anyone in need of a healthy meal.

Over the course of three years, these dedicated young volunteers, who themselves prepare, cook and serve every meal, have provided a healthy and free meal to thousands of individuals in need in our community. On average now, the young Katie’s Krops Crew serves 120 people per dinner. Every meal is based on the harvest from the Katie’s Krops gardens and is healthy, well balanced and free and everyone is always welcome to join us at the Katie’s Krops Dinner table!

Please join us at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22nd at Summerville Baptist Church as we celebrate the three year anniversary of the Katie’s Krops Dinner. In addition to a free, healthy, garden to table dinner, we will host a children’s book giveaway and a cake walk. Summerville Baptist is located at 417 Central Avenue in Summerville, South Carolina.

Join us as we celebrate how youth in our community have come together to create a positive change through one garden, one dinner, and one healthy meal at a time.

Katie’s Krops is proud to announce the ‘2013 Volunteer of the Year’ and the ‘2013 Grantee of the Year’. Katie Smoak , age 17, of Summerville has been named the 2013 Katie’s Krops Volunteer of the Year. Katie is a senior at the Pinewood Preparatory School and has been a dedicated Katie’s Krops volunteer for several years working in the garden and spending the past two years cooking and serving meals for families in need as part of the Katie’s Krops Dinners.

“Katie has been a true leader, supporting and guiding our younger volunteers. Most importantly, Katie gets to know the people we support at Katie’s Krops. She takes the time to talk with them, find about their needs and then addresses them. We are thrilled to have her as part of our Katie’s Krops Crew,” noted Stacy Stagliano, President of Katie’s Krops.

Along with the honor comes a $500 scholarship for her education.

Ted Colwell, age 12, of Wisconsin was name the 2013 Katie’s Krops Grantee of the Year. Ted has been growing with Katie’s Krops for three years. He has grown thousands of pounds of healthy, fresh food for families in need in his community. This year, he has stepped up to mentor new Katie’s Krops growers from Maine to Hawaii. He too received a scholarship for his education.

“Ted has gone so above and beyond what is required of our grantees. He is not only growing an amazing harvest but he is inspiring, supporting and encouraging other young growers,” said Katie Stagliano, Founder of Katie’s Krops.

Both Katie and Ted were surprised with their awards at the first Katie’s Krops Camp, which was held this summer with the generous support of W.P. Rawl. As part of the camp experience, the young growers, along with the support of the regular dedicated Katie’s Krops crew, held a Katie’s Krops Dinner in Columbia. The two young volunteers were honored in front of the 140 guests attending the dinner.

Please join us for the first Katie’s Krops Dinner in Columbia, South Carolina. The FREE & healthy meal will be served on Wednesday, July 17th at Westminster Presbyterian Church located at 1715 Broad River Road in Columbia. Dinner will be served at 6:00 pm. Everyone is welcome at the Katie’s Krops Dinner table. The menu will be based on the harvest from our garden. For questions about this dinner please contact Stacy at (843)327-3366.

Youth volunteers are the heart of our organization. It is through their dedication to ending hunger, one vegetable garden at a time, that we are truly able to grow and impact so many lives.  In order to recognize our young volunteers and the invaluable service that they provide to their communities, we are implementing the Katie’s Krops Scholarship Program. Beginning this year, Katie’s Krops will award one scholarship to a youth volunteer in our flagship area of South Carolina and one scholarship to a grantee who is growing with us around the United States.

The two $500 Katie’s Krops Educational Scholarships will be presented to two young volunteers who embody the spirit of Katie’s Krops and embrace the belief that kids can help end hunger in their community. The Katie’s Krops Volunteer Scholarship will be awarded in July and the Katie’s Krops Grantee Scholarship will be awarded in October.

Katie’s Krops would like to thank all of the young volunteers who dedicate their time and efforts to improving their communities. We are exceedingly proud of each and every one of you as you support your communities and support the dream of Katie’s Krops!

Our wonderful Katie’s Krops volunteers

Our dedicated grantee growers

Please Join Us For Our 

March Katie’s Krops St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

Thursday, March 28th

Dinner is served from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Summerville Baptist Church

417 Central Avenue in Summerville

The dinner is always healthy, hot, & FREE.

Due to an increase in the number of guests take-out meals are only available one per person for guests who are unable to dine between the hours of 6 – 7 p.m.

www.KatiesKrops.com – Katie @ KatiesKrops.com -327-3366

We are thrilled to announce our very first Katie’s Krops Camp. This July fourteen Katie’s Krops Grantees will attend an all expenses paid 3 days camp in Pelion, South Carolina. This immersive experience will not only reward our grantees but will also teach them new growing practices, budgeting, how to photograph their gardens and so many other tools which will increase their productivity as well as the impact that they are having in their communities. The camp will also feature a Katie’s Krops Dinner where the campers will prepare a meal for families in need in Columbia, South Carolina. The camp will give our grantees the opportunity to get to know their peers, meet and work with the Founder of Katie’s Krops as well as meet a few surprise special guests.

The camp to be held July 16-18, 2013, at the headquarters of WP Rawl a sponsor of Katie’s Krops. Giving back to the community is important to the family-owned WP Rawl, and a partnership with Katie’s Krops was a perfect match. As such, for every bag of specially marked Nature’s Greens Kale and Collard Greens sold from October 2012 – January 2013, WP Rawl gave a percentage of sales to Katie’s Krops and provided funding for 15 grants in 2013, along with funding the camp.

“The first time I watched Katie speak, I knew I wanted to help her cause,” said Ashley Rawl, Director of Sales & Marketing for WP Rawl. “I started thinking of ways where we could help her empower other kids to do the same thing she is already doing. Katie’s Camp was born on that day and I am so pleased that we will be able to make it come to life.”

We at Katie’s Krops are so proud of all of our young growers across the country. To bring our grantees together is dream come true. We are excited to learn from them and further empower them to grow a healthy end to hunger in their communities.

The camp will be open to all current and new Katie’s Krops Grantees. Our current grant cycle, which is open to kids 9 to 16 and is sponsored by WP Rawl and Opal Apple is open until March 1st (please see the grant section of our website for an application). All new grantees that are selected during the current grant cycle will be eligible to apply to attend the camp.

Here is a sneak peek at our Katie’s Krops Camp Garden growing at W. P. Rawl Farm…

On your next visit to the grocery store look for Katie’s Krops in your produce aisle. We are so honored to have the support of WP Rawl, a wonderful grower in Pelion, South Carolina. For every bag of Rawl’s specially marked Nature’s Greens Kale and Collard Greens sold through the end of the year, WP Rawl will give a percentage to Katie’s Krops to help with the our 2013 initiatives. This donation will allow us to fund 15 gardens next spring. So the next time you are in the grocery store please look for the special marked packages of Nature’s Greens Collard Greens & Kale and pick up a bag or two to show your support for Katie’s Krops and our wonderful sponsor WP Rawl. Looking for great recipes using Collard Greens & Kale? Visit the http://rawl.net/cook.html website for delcious recipes.