Urban Farm Offers Valuable Job Skills Training to Homeless Population
In recent years, GrowGood’s program has provided over 1,000 hours of paid, training-rich work, and over 50% of graduates find a job.
By Renee Eng Bell
Spectrum News
Mar. 03, 2021
Excerpt:
Bell, CALIF. — Getting his hands dirty in a garden doesn’t bother Gulf War veteran Sateh Malik.
“It’s like water running in a fountain,” said Malik. “Is that tranquility? Serenity? Somebody tell me. I don’t know, but it feels the same.”
That sense of peace is a stark contrast to life on the streets, where he found himself several years ago in Las Vegas after falling on hard times. Malik eventually made his way to the Salvation Army Bell Shelter for those experiencing homelessness. That’s when his life changed.
“I was introduced back to Mother Nature and now, I don’t want to do anything else but put my hands and feet in the dirt,” he said.
Malik credits a transitional employment program at an urban farm across the street from the shelter, run by the nonprofit organization GrowGood. Its 1.5-acre farm provides about 10,000 pounds of produce to the shelter and local restaurants every year — much needed in an area designated as a food desert.
While getting back on his feet, Malik worked at the farm developing job skills like working with others and taking on responsibilities. Learning how to grow produce and spending time outdoors was respite for his mental health.
“There was PTSD, anxiety, paranoia, depression for sure,” he said.
