Mission and Vision
That’s why we’ve been helping people find meaningful careers through skills learned while farming since 2002. Growing Home is Chicago’s leading expert in farm-based training for people with employment barriers. By providing 25 hours per week of paid on-the-job experience and job-readiness training at our farms, plus the support to conquer issues like criminal records, medical needs, child-care, and housing, we have changed the lives of hundreds of workers, and thousands of their family members.
We start people on the path to self-sufficiency. When people have jobs, they have economic stability in their lives; this stability allows for healthy people and families. But we don’t stop there: we use our unique model to impact neighborhoods with the greatest need. That’s why our farms are located in Englewood, a community on the South side of Chicago that has been under-served for decades and has extremely high rates of unemployment and poverty, hundreds of acres of vacant lots, and a distinct lack of healthy food choices.
When communities have access to healthy food options, the overall well-being and health of the residents improves. With economic resources and physical health, neighbors are more able to participate in the rejuvenation of their community.
To help people find meaningful, sustaining careers, we train them in job skills, give them real work experience, and support them while they begin their careers by helping with job placement and life-planning. We not only provide the support people need to succeed, but also the space to define what success means to them. To transform our community, we offer our produce to our neighbors at significantly reduced prices, advocate for the issues impacting Englewood, and open up our space for trainings, workshops, and more.
Milestones
1992
Les Brown, founder of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, has a vision to help homeless Chicagoans gain job skills and rebuild their confidence through farming.
2002
Nine people enroll as participants in Growing Home’s first year of training.
2006
Development begins on the Wood Street Urban Farm and the job training program finds a permanent home in Englewood. The first 100 Production Assistants complete the training program.
2011
In part due to Growing Home’s precedent-setting Wood Street Farm, the City of Chicago passes a new ordinance making the establishment of an urban farm less daunting and more efficient for others. Growing Home’s Honore Street Farm is the first farm to open under the new ordinance.
2013
Growing Home is chosen as the winner of the Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Award, and, at the Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards, is named as the Chicago Community Trust Outstanding Community Strategy of the Year.
2014
Growing Home solidifies a partnership with Cabrini Green Legal Aid to help Production Assistants seal or expunge their criminal records, a primary employment barrier, and to offer legal assistance with housing, child custody, and other civil pursuits affecting their ability to succeed.
Our Team
Staff
Sonia Garcia
Farm Sales Associate
April Harrington
Chief Operating Officer
Olivia Helms
Farm Crew Leader
Renee Howarth
Food Access and Distribution Manager
DeAndre Brooks
Farm Manager
Fred Daniels
Director of Urban Farms
Willie Danner
Farm Crew Leader
LaQuandra Fair
Community Engagement Associate
Chrissy Gargano
Grants and Communications Coordinator
Camesha Jones
Case Management Coordinator
Courtney Kelledes
Director of Employment Training
Kristin Miodonski
Director of Community Engagement
Amelia Nawn
Program Operations Associate
Brittany Norment
Development Assistant
Cassidy Olson
Individual Giving Associate
Ursula Phillips-Levi
Site Maintenance Assistant
Shelley Williams
Job Placement Associate
Jamie Winger
Employment Training Manager
Board of Directors
Laura Tilly
Board President
Miner, Barnhill & Galland, PC, Attorney
Lynn Sheck
Board Vice President
Finicity, Vice President
Steve Stanley
Board Secretary
Pastor and Community Organizer
Karl Riley
Board Treasurer
Fifth Third Bank, Business Banking Officer
Judith Aronson, PhD
Psychotherapist
Jennifer Ballard Croft
Chief of Staff to Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx & Chief Diversity Officer
Mecca Bey
Grow Greater Englewood, Lead Engagement/Operations Specialist
Shawn Boone
PNC Bank, AVP Branch Manager
Foster Dale
Foster Dale Architects, Principal
Martin R. Eckstein
Social Justice Advocate
Dan Kaplan
American Library Association, Marketing Manager
Pascale Kichler
Instructor, French Department, DePaul University
Diana Leifer
Educator & Chef
Micheal Newman-Brooks
City of Chicago, Department of Planning & Development, Project Manager of Urban Agriculture
Carolyn Ulrich
Chicagoland Gardening Magazine, Editor
Barbara Wallace
Writer
Stewart J. Weiss
Holland & Knight LLP, Attorney
Marny Zimmer
Cook County State Attorney’s Office, Special Prosecutor, Crimes Strategy Task Force
Associate Board
Kevin Swan
Board Co-Chair
United Senior Services, General Manager
Larissa Mariano
Board Co-Chair
The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Executive Assistant
Tabitha Humphries
Board Secretary
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Attorney
Rashanah Baldwin
Chicago Public Media, Metro Desk Producer & Writer
Mark Bourdenko
The Chartis Group, Consultant
Mackenzie Canfield
Inspiration Corporation, Employment Preparation & Placement Specialist
Bert Connelly
University of Chicago, Graduate Student
Charlotte Cottier
Campbell & Company, Nonprofit Communications Consultant
Charles Dabah
The Levantine Kitchen, Chef and Owner
Alexis Macias
Loyola University School of Social Work, Graduate Student
Ted Miller
Synchrony Financial, VP of Loyalty Analytics
Liz Rosenthal
DigitasLBi, Project Manager
Gina Schammel
Chicago Food Planet & Food Tours, Sales & Private Events Director
Kim Smith
University of Chicago Urban Labs, Sr. Research Manager
Marie Stringer
Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, Development & Communications Manager
Garrett Thomas
Attorney
Katharine Uhrich
The Field Museum, Social Media Manager
Michelle Xie
Numerator, Client Services Analyst
Leadership Council
Lauri Alpern
Kim Bartko
Deborah Bennett
JoAnn Blackman
Helen Cameron
Valerie Denney
David Doig
Lisa Gershenson
Perry Gunn
Ivan Handler
Ben Helphand
Ted Kennedy
Karen Lehman
Dale Rainville
Amy Rynell
Colleen Sheehan
Paul Youngstrum