Seeds for Change Conference Service Project

Join us at Conference and help address food stability with Chicago’s students

The National Conference on Volunteering and Service has a legacy of active engagement with its host cities’ communities. This year’s service program, Seeds for Change sponsored by Chase, showcases the Chicago motto Urbs in Horto (City in a Garden) as a model for how environmental and economic success can be achieved through service.

The Seeds for Change program engages students, parents, local nonprofit leaders and grassroots community organizers, all serving to meet the growing concern regarding access to healthy food options. The program will result in the disbursement of 500 community garden kits, at least one per Chicago public school with access to a garden. The installation, seeding and upgrading of these gardens will engage thousands of volunteers including youth, community and Conference volunteers. Chase and Points of Light will also provide specialized training and implementation guides for other communities to replicate the program.

On Monday, June 18, registered attendees will work alongside students, parents, teachers and other Chicago community members. At Theophilus Schmid Elementary School in Chicago, volunteers will build plots, plant seedlings and construct greenhouses and benches, and learn how to overcome the challenges of finding fresh produce in various parts of the city known as “food deserts.” More than 609,000 Chicago residents live in these areas, which lack access to grocery stores and healthy food options.

Then, on Monday evening during the Welcome to Chicago all-Conference celebration, attendees will assemble seed packets, seedlings, implementation guides, service learning materials and gardening supplies to create 500 “Seeds for Change: Community Garden Kits” to be disbursed to schools throughout the city. We’ll be accepting donations of seed packets from attendees throughout the Conference to be included in the garden kits. Please bring vegetable and/or fruit seed packets that are suitable for fall/spring planting in the northern region. Look for donation bins in the registration area.

Don’t miss your chance to meet the Chicago community and Schmid Elementary students. Register as a volunteer with Chase for the Seeds for Change service project today.