The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Welcomes Applications for 2021 Grassroots Grants with KidsGardening to Connect More Children to Benefits of Gardening

MARYSVILLE, Ohio, Jan. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To support the rise in gardening nationwide and address the critical need to connect more children to healthy food, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation today opened its GroMoreGood Grassroots Grants with national nonprofit KidsGardening. This annual grant program is designed to bring the powerful benefits of gardening to more children and supports ScottsMiracle-Gro’s broader mission to reach 10 million kids with garden and greenspace programming across the United States by 2023.

There has never been a more critical time to connect children to the positive experiences that gardens provide. From increased access to fresh food to the therapeutic nature of digging in the soil, gardens offer hope and joy to children during this time of continued uncertainty. The ongoing pandemic has greatly disrupted children’s daily lives and impacted families struggling with food insecurity. But this past year, ScottsMiracle-Gro and KidsGardening have seen firsthand how communities are using gardening to provide relief for those in need.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the stories of resiliency and perseverance from our GroMoreGood garden grantees,” said Jim King, president of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation. “People have turned to gardening to support their communities in unique and meaningful ways, providing food and comfort to those who need it most. It’s an honor for us to contribute to this work, and we consider it our responsibility to support more of it.”

The GroMoreGood Grassroots Grants will fund all types of community-driven garden and greenspace projects that directly engage youth, including school and community gardens, urban farms, pollinator gardens and outdoor playscapes. Because of the unpredictable challenges that may occur due to COVID-19, the uses for Grassroots Grants have expanded to allow organizations to use the funding for emerging needs in their community, such as at-home garden kits for families. Grant funding will support the creation of new garden projects and also the expansion of existing ones. The 2021 application is available now at https://kidsgardening.org/2021-gromoregood-grassroots-grant/.

“We are continually amazed by the creativity and perseverance of educators and community leaders when it comes to their garden programs,” said Em Shipman, executive director at KidsGardening. “From take-home hydroponic kits to teen-led food donation gardens, we know this grant has enabled communities to meet the needs of kids and their families in so many different ways. We can’t wait to see what the next crop of grantees will do.”

The Grassroots Grants are part of ScottsMiracle-Gro’s larger GroMoreGood initiative to connect 10 million children to the benefits of gardens and greenspace by 2023. As part of GroMoreGood, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation is partnering with leading not-for-profit organizations, such as KidsGardening, to help overcome some of the pressing challenges facing today’s youth––including childhood obesity, poor nutrition and nature deficit––by improving children’s access to fresh food and increasing their time spent connected to nature.

The GroMoreGood Grassroots Grant application will be open until February 4, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. PST. One hundred seventy-five grants, ranging from $500 to $1,000, will be awarded based on youth engagement, community impact, and sustainability, among other factors. Winners will be announced on the first day of spring, March 20, 2021.

For more information, visit www.GroMoreGood.com.

About The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation
The mission of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation is to inspire, connect and cultivate a community of purpose. The Foundation is deeply rooted in helping create healthier communities, empower the next generation, and preserve our planet. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that funds non-profit entities that support its core initiatives in the form of grants, endowments and multi-year capital gifts. For more information, visit www.scottsmiraclegrofoundation.org.

About KidsGardening
KidsGardening is a national nonprofit organization creating opportunities for kids to learn and grow through gardening. We provide grants and original educational materials to more than 2.6 million kids across the country. For more information, visit www.kidsgardening.org.

Contacts:
Lindsay LaSala
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation
937-644-7621 (office)
Lindsay.LaSala@Scotts.com

Beth Saunders
KidsGardening
802-660-4603 (office)
BethS@kidsgardening.org