Dear Community,
Elly, our new Farm Manager, has been an amazing leader and has brought fresh ideas and energy to Rise Up as she learns the ins and outs of organic farming. She has led the way with our new Farm Share program, ensuring folks receive a beautiful, delicious box of fresh vegetables each week while providing House of Mercy food pantry and Vigilant Hope with fresh produce for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. She has made our work of cultivating land and community and nourishing our neighbors even more impactful, and I am so grateful she is on our team.
As our produce distribution changed and grew in impact, so did our Youth Internship. Sarah Grace, our Youth Program Director, created an amazing internship experience for eight local youth over the summer. The most significant change to this program was the addition of our Crew Leader position. This position allowed two youth, who had previously been interns or volunteered with the farm on a more in-depth level, to expand their leadership skills as they led fellow interns in learning new farming techniques and running our summer farm stand. This experience even led one of our interns to a new job after the internship.
This year’s crew of youth interns was an incredible group of youth that truly formed a tight bond and pushed each other to work hard and lead well. It was amazing to see their growth over the summer and to see how Sarah Grace designed an internship experience that gave them each a safe space to learn and grow. She truly empowered them to become more confident in themselves and who they are.
As I’m writing this letter, one of those 2022 youth interns has just planned and led our first farm to table fundraiser. When we started Rise Up in 2019, I never would have imagined that one of our youth interns would be leading a fundraiser for the farm. Watching her lead this past weekend left me in awe. It also encouraged and reminded me that this work is important, that creating space for youth to feel safe, supported, and empowered is meaningful and work worthy of continuing to invest our time and energy in at Rise Up.
Our vision for Rise Up has always been a place where dignity is restored, a table where no one is excluded, a community where peace and joy abound. As we head into 2023, I hope you’ll join us at that table as we continue to nourish our neighbors and empower local youth. We certainly could not do this work without our community.
This year, we are hoping to raise $55,000 by the end of this holiday season. Just as the farm has grown significantly this year, so have our goals and needs for next year. If you are looking for a way to give back to the community, I encourage you to consider making a donation for whatever amount you are able. We’ve included some important items below if you would like to designate your gift towards a specific need.
We are so incredibly grateful for your continued support of Rise Up Community Farm. We hope you’ll continue to join us in planting hope in Wilmington in 2023. It is an honor and a privilege to be planted in this community, and we are so thankful for how you help us meet the needs of food-insecure families in Wilmington and empower local youth through sustainable farming and gardening education.
With Gratitude,
Mari Carl Fisher