Kids’ Day of Community Service with
Hilltown Families & Whole Foods Market
at Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA
Saturday, Sept. 7th from 11am-2pm

Kids’ Day of Community Service is a free, family-friendly 2-hour project with tasks for everyone ages 2 and up.  Join us in a service learning opportunity, giving kids a hands-on look at how their food is grown while supporting the food security efforts of the Food Bank of Western MA. Space is limited and all participating families are asked to pre-register online.

Last September, Hilltown Families organized a field trip to the Food Bank of Western MA where families were able to see how the Food Bank operates while learning about food security efforts in the region.  Families were also able to participate in community service projects during their visit by lending a hand with sorting food donations and with preparations for the Food Bank’s annual “Will Bike 4 Food” Fundraiser.

One of the issues participants learned during this field trip was how difficult it can be for some families to have access to fresh organic fruits and vegetables.  This past May at our Family Community Service Event we partnered with Grow Food Northampton and empowered families to grow an extra row of vegetables in their home gardens to harvest and donate to their local food pantries.

Coming up this September, in collaboration with Whole Foods Market in Hadley and Atlas Farm in Deerfield, families are invited to come together again on Saturday, September 7th, 2013 from 11am-2pm in Deerfield for a day of community service, gleaning organic vegetables leftover from a recent harvest to donate to the Food Bank. We will also be rolling up our sleeves to help prepare the Farm for winter.  Jerod Shuford, the Education Coordinator at the Food Bank, will be attending our Kids’ Day of Community Service, speaking to families about food security in the region and how they can continue to support the work of the Food Bank…

Kids’ Day of Community Service is a free, family-friendly 2-hour service project with tasks for everyone ages 2 and up and an excellent opportunity for kids to get a hands-on look at how their food is grown while supporting the food security efforts of the Food Bank of Western MA.  Volunteering together teaches children positive values, like kindness, empathy and tolerance, and opens up channels of communication between parent and child. Engaging children in community service can increase their participation as future volunteers, helping to create more resilient and sustainable communities.

This event will take place at Atlas Farm in Deerfield, a 55-acre diversified organic vegetable farm in its tenth year of operation. Their produce is sold across Western MA and in the Boston area through wholesale, farmers’ markets, and their new retail farm store. Beyond the word “organic,” their farm is dedicated to producing food in a way that will maintain biological diversity, support natural ecosystems, and keep the land productive for future generations.

Additionally, Whole Foods Market will be providing a build-your-own salad-bar lunch for kids and grown-ups. Join them in modeling the fun of “eating a rainbow” in honor of the Whole Kids Foundation!

Please join Whole Foods Market, Atlas Farm and Hilltown Families for a fun-filled day of service and inspiration as we celebrate healthy communities and healthy eating for all! Space is limited and all participating families are asked to pre-register online. Registration details and more information can be found at hadleykidsdayofservice.eventbrite.com. Registration Ends September 5th, 2013

Hilltown Families believes in creating resilient and sustainable communities by developing and strengthening a sense of place in our children and citizens.  We work to accomplish this by connecting, collaborating, and creating community building events, community based educational opportunities, and community service leaning experiences.

Whole Foods Market, along with their nonprofit organization, the Whole Kids Foundation, is dedicated to supporting and inspiring families to improve children’s nutrition and wellness. Founded by Whole Foods Market, Whole Kids Foundation uses the company’s considerable expertise about quality ingredients, food production methods and nutrition to engage educators, community members and leaders in taking an active role in supporting healthier kids.

These combined missions directly support the goals of The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, which works to reduce hunger and increase food security in our community.