Bringing HOPE to the Community
Metro Atlanta Urban Farm and other Co-Principal Investigator’s (CoPI’s) across the US have been contemplating ways to adjust courses to accommodate the needs of the country while continuing to “be the change” that we “want to see” in the lives of people that we serve in our communities. By modifying our road map, we are able to address multiple challenges while continuing to support our communities in ways that matter now, and have an impact both on the NOISE Project and COVID-19. We need to be adaptable and change the way we do business to meet the needs of the people we are here to serve. Rules are only as good as they are effective. COVID-19 is holding the world hostage and is demanding that we make critical and life-saving changes now, not later.
Last year, Metro Atlanta Urban Farm (MAUF) was able to exceed its goals of reaching a minimum of 500 students in 50 schools within 5 months and new schools were being added by the week! However, COVID-19 changed the way all of us were doing business. For example, we send out more information to communities about backyard gardening, community gardening and urban agriculture. The MAUF conference room was refurbished into an emergency aid relief store that offers pick-up service to those who need food. People from surrounding communities come to the farm to pick greens to feed their families and herbs to help keep their families well.
We do not know where the answers to COVID-19 will come from nor the impact that it will have on the NOISE Project. For many of us, answers will come in bits and pieces from our government and medical professionals. Other answers will come from community-based organizations, like MAUF, working in collaboration with large institutions. It is during times like these that we all need to “adjust” so that we are bringing HOPE to our communities through actions that are relevant to our common goal of improving the quality of life for the ALL people that we serve.