Wasatch Community Gardens has applied for $40,000 in federal funding through Salt Lake City’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to support our farm-based Green Team Job Training Program for women facing or experiencing homelessness. The program takes place at WCG’s new City Farm on 1300 South, in the Glendale neighborhood.
The program provides paid employment, work readiness training, job placement and continuing education assistance, mentoring, and support for women facing/experiencing homelessness at WCG’s urban farm. The program and farm also serve as critical resources for addressing food insecurity in Salt Lake City.
Help us secure these funds by writing to the Salt Lake City Council! Tell the Council how important this program - and its impacts on addressing homelessness and food insecurity in Salt Lake City - is to you! If you live in Salt Lake City, find your representatives here. Sample email text can be found below.
Your voice - and a chorus of many WCG voices - is what we need to help us advocate for this important program funding! Public comment ends April 14.
Thank you for your dedication to WCG’s mission and vision!
Sample Email Text:
Subject: Support for Wasatch Community Gardens’ CDBG Funding Request
Dear Salt Lake City Council,My name is [Your Name], and I’m your constituent living in [Your Address or Town] (if applicable). I’m writing to request your support for Wasatch Community Gardens’ (WCG’s) application for $40,000 in CDBG funds to support its farm-based Green Team Job Training Program for women facing or experiencing homelessness. This program provides paid employment, job training, and mentorship at WCG’s new City Farm on 1300 South, helping participants secure stable housing and jobs. Green Team members are challenged to learn, grow, and rediscover their strengths, even as they navigate difficult circumstances. A key part of the program’s success is WCG’s onsite Case Manager, who maintains a realistic caseload to support Green Team members while also assisting overworked shelter and outreach case managers. Over 100 Green Team graduates have transitioned to independent living, with 80% securing housing and employment within six months.
The impact of this program extends far beyond individual participants. Green Team members play a critical role in ensuring thousands of individuals and families have access to fresh, nutritious food. All produce grown at City Farm is donated to low-income community members through WCG’s partner organizations, distributing $100,000 worth of healthy food annually. In any given year, more than 40% of the Utah population served in shelters has received food grown by the Green Team at WCG’s farm.
With 12% of Utahns experiencing food insecurity and grocery prices rising, sustainable, local food sources are more critical than ever. WCG is the only broad-scale, garden-to-mouth nonprofit in Salt Lake City, providing growing space, food education, and distribution to shelters and community partners. Without CDBG support, Salt Lake City compromises this vital resource that not only feeds our community but also helps women reclaim stability in their lives.
Please prioritize WCG’s Green Team Job Training Program for CDBG funding.
Thank you,
(Your name)