Meet our presenters, Dr Bob Randall, Co-Founder Urban Harvest and Janna Roberson, ED Urban Harvest. Scroll to bottom of page for details
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Meet our presenters, Dr Bob Randall, Co-Founder Urban Harvest and Janna Roberson, ED Urban Harvest. Scroll to bottom of page for details 〰️
Compassionate Houston’s Annual Fundraiser Luncheon March 22, 2024
We are excited to introduce our colorful 2024 Spring Luncheon Fundraiser, “Sowing Seeds of Compassion.” This year, we aim to create a festive and vibrant event that celebrates the remarkable influence of community gardens in nurturing compassion within the Greater Houston communities. With an impressive count of several hundred community gardens in and around Houston, we have an exceptional opportunity to learn about the spirit of sharing, building relationships, supporting vulnerable populations, and fostering environmental stewardship.
Join us!
Junior League of Houston at 1811 Briar Oaks Lane, Houston, 77027
Free covered parking provided
10:30 AM Pre-Luncheon Program with Book Fair by Blue Willow Bookshop, Compassionate Garden and Registration
11:30 AM Luncheon begins
Join us for an inspiring gathering and discover how community gardens can transform lives and communities. Leave inspired; let’s sow the seeds of compassion together and create a tapestry of kindness in our community! Your presence and support make a significant difference.
Community Gardening - compassion towards others and the Earth
Since the rise of community gardens to help offset rations and fuel for the Allied forces' war efforts almost a century ago, community gardening has taken root in cities and towns all across America. Neighbors are digging in the dirt across our great city, with hundreds of Houston community gardens in operation today.
Community gardens cultivate more than just beautiful flowers and fresh produce; they provide numerous benefits for individuals and the community as a whole, as they bring people together and foster social interaction.
They provide a space for individuals from diverse backgrounds to connect, share knowledge, and build relationships. This sense of community and belonging is vital for creating and accelerating stronger and more resilient neighborhoods.
Community-led gardens contribute to environmental sustainability by promoting green spaces, biodiversity, and conservation. These are just a few of the many ways community gardens grow an appreciation of the sacredness of the earth and our distinct role as its stewards.
Community Gardens in Houston
Urban Harvest, one of several urban community agricultural organizations, is pivotal in supporting over 125 community gardens in and around Houston, providing education and resources that accelerate their growth and enhance their success. These gardens serve various purposes:
by growing fruits and vegetables for donation to food pantries and shelters;
Functioning as outdoor classrooms in school gardens that impart hands-on education on healthy meals through planting, cultivating, and harvesting vegetables and fruits;
By improving food desert neighborhoods with access to healthy food.
Did you know?
Residents work collaboratively and equitably to share the produce grown in many community gardens. Some gardens also offer individual plots for rent, allowing entrepreneurial gardeners to bring their produce to market.
Other therapeutic gardens contribute to physical, emotional, and spiritual health and healing.
From hospitals, clinics, and special-needs schools providing therapy to the disabled to senior-care centers inspiring exercise and fresh air to supporting and empowering vulnerable populations such as low-income families or immigrants, each garden's setting serves as a healing space and a source of nutritious food.
One of the gardens is a farming enterprise growing vegetables specific to the diet of Congolese refugees, providing compassionate fellowship to this refugee community in Houston.
MEET OUR PRESENTERS AND EMCEE
Expert Insights: Dr. Bob Randall, one of the founders of Urban Harvest and a true visionary in the development of area community gardens will be joined by Janna Robertson, Executive Director of Urban Harvest, to share their insights and expertise in urban agriculture in Houston.
Emcee Extraordinaire: Ernie Manouse, writer, producer, and Houston Public Media PBS host will guide us through an inspiring multi-media luncheon experience with his charismatic personality. > Click on each image for a short bio.
Ernie Manouse, Producer/Host Houston Public Media – PBS/NPR
Bob Randall, PhD, food systems anthropologist and co-founder Urban Harvest
Janna Roberson, Executive Director Urban Harvets
Join us at "Sowing Seeds of Compassion!"
Compassion is a tangible force rooted in the heart of urban farming and community gardens. Coming together, working side by side in the soil, and sharing the fruits of labor fosters a sense of connection and care that transcends individual boundaries.
Join us to hear amazing stories and learn from those who lead these compassion-in-action initiatives across Houston. Meet inspiring gardeners and homegrown community development leaders. Let's create a world where compassion flourishes, one garden at a time!
Individual Tickets
Be a part of this festive and vibrant event by clicking on the individual ticket sale button below. Five individual tickets per one transaction allow for a custom table signage!
Secure your spot today!
Sponsorship Opportunities
We invite you to become a 2024 Annual Luncheon Sponsor. As a volunteer organization, your contribution makes our luncheon event possible.
Click the button below to explore our sponsorship packages.
““I envision a day when every city and town has front and back yards, community gardens and growing spaces, nurtured into life by neighbors who are no longer strangers, but friends who delight in the edible rewards offered from a garden they discovered together. Imagine small strips of land between apartment buildings that have been turned into vegetable gardens, and urban orchards planted at schools ... to grow food for our communities. The seeds of the urban farming movement already are growing within our reality.” ”