Youth of Chippewas of the Thames First Nation support their community through the Greenhouse Project
Youth of Chippewas of the Thames First Nation support their community through the Greenhouse Project
Last year, funding from the RBC Future Launch Community Challenge enabled students at Antler River Elementary of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation to provide and manage greenhouses for the community, reducing the cost of healthy food while building community relations in the process.
There are no grocery stores with the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, making it difficult to access fresh vegetables without travelling a significant distance. Vick Slay, Principal at Antler River, told us how important this has been to people in the community, “Many families have no transportation at all, making this particularly difficult. The Greenhouse Project has provided a local access point to ensure food security within the community.”
For the young people who got involved in the project, the social benefits of taking part were also notable. Chase, one of the young people volunteering on the project, told us, “We have become better communicators with people. I'm not the sociable type but I have learned how to open myself to people. I also have another person helping me on this project and we have become good friends. I have built great relationships with elders and other people in my community.”
The project was such a success that the local community was inspired to get its community garden up and running again. On top of this, some of the teachers at Antler River Elementary have started incorporating the greenhouse into their lessons, particularly in science, to encourage more young people to get involved in volunteering on the project.
The school now funds the greenhouse itself so the project, and the benefits to the community that come with it, can continue. “We are making some of our education funding available to continue to build on this project. If it wasn’t for LCF, this project would never have gotten off the ground.” says Mr. Slay. More support for the project has come in the form of a new 18 foot greenhouse from Zipgrow that will be built at the school in the Spring.
Mr Slay would also like to thank Cruise Cornelius and Tony Weekes who were the builders, Reginald for doing the concrete slabs for the greenhouses to sit on, and Nick H, and T.J the custodian crew who also helped with the project.
London Community Foundation joined the RBC Future Launch Community Challenge in July 2019, making grants available to youth-led projects that address diverse and urgent local priorities. The grants enabled youth from Thorndale, Strathroy, Oneida Nation of the Thames, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, and Munsee-Delaware Nation to lead, learn new skills, gain experience, and build relationships in their local communities – all things that will help them prepare for the future of work.
For more information on current grant opportunities with London Community Foundation, visit our Grants & Awards page, and get all the latest information about our grants, awards and loans by signing up to our mailing list.
