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After coming out of the pandemic, where many of us were feeling disconnected, Katie Holtzman Hearn, a KRS mom, and Tricia Jessen, a SVMS mom, came up with a plan to help youth feel more connected, not just to other youth, but to humanitarian causes as well. In the fall, with an inaugural group of students, they established The Grove, a group-based service program for youth (5-18 years). Participants of The Grove gain valuable hands-on volunteer experiences with prominent local non-profits, in both dynamic multi-week service-learning workshops and standalone service events.
The Grove empowers youth to actively and consciously engage in service through a curriculum that centers on: empathy, leadership development, team building and community engagement. Additionally, working together with a common goal helps the participants develop a sense of connectedness with their peers which enhances the overall experience.
In September and October, the first group to go through The Grove focused on food insecurity while working with two non-profits – America’s Grow a Row farm in Pittstown and nourish.NJ. In addition, during November and December The Grove engaged in service partnerships with local Madison businesses: Stitch, Alfred’s and Healthy Italia. With Stitch, The Grove ran a successful clothing drive for Madison’s Dress for Success. In Healthy Italia’s kitchen, 60 4th-8th graders cooked 200 servings of soup for Meals on Wheels of Madison. And in partnership with Alfred’s, The Grove collected sports equipment for a Newark community in need.
To kick off the new year and honor Martin Luther King’s legacy of service, The Grove will be offering two service events on MLK day, one at Crafted and one at Healthy Italia. Additionally, The Grove is partnering with CASA, an organization that supports children in foster care, for their late-winter multi-week service program.
To find out more information or enroll in The Grove programs visit www.thegroveproject.com or find them on Instagram @the.grove.project
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