E+J Giving Circle at Alma Backyard Farm
Liberty Hill’s Environment + Justice Donor Circle provides unique opportunities for its members to explore and deepen their understanding of the intersection of the environment and social and economic justice.
This month, the circle hosted a special breakfast and tour of Alma Backyard Farms, an innovative nonprofit organization in Compton dedicated to transforming land into lively urban farms and fostering a community where both people and plants can thrive!
In line with its commitment to learn from those leading the charge in environmental justice, the donor circle sets aside one of its quarterly meetings to visit frontline communities. This allows members to hear from organizers and leaders, gaining firsthand insight into the effects environmental injustices and the positive impact of funding changemakers.
During the recent gathering, members toured the farm grounds and learned about the amazing work being done at Alma Backyard Farm—from urban agriculture job training to youth education to social enterprise programming.
To date, the organization has successfully provided job training to over 500 individuals who were formerly incarcerated, covering areas like agriculture, carpentry, landscaping, and entrepreneurship. They also provide hands-on youth education in environmental stewardship and agriculture, supply organic food, and create a warm and welcoming space for the community to come together.
Alma Backyards Farm—a grantee of the E+J Donor Circle—shares, “We grow food to satisfy the hunger of the soul, the hunger for connection. Our urban farms foster connections between people, plants, and places. Most importantly, we grow relationships with the most vulnerable members of our community—disadvantaged children, food-insecure households, and formerly incarcerated neighbors.”
