2023 has been a year of real growth and impact for Groundwork RVA. At a time when Richmond has been paying increased attention to sustainability and equity, we have been a central part of the conversation. As a leading voice in the Office of Sustainability Federal Convening project, Groundwork RVA was part of applying for and shaping the City's $6 Million Urban and Community Forestry Grant. Our work will be focused on getting trees into the ground in heat and flooding impacted neighborhoods and helping create a pipeline of living wage workforce opportunities in the tree care and adjacent industries.
Early in the year, the Hillside Mini-Farm and community space was selected as one of the Robins Foundation's Dynamic Communities sites! This pivotal support has allowed us to bring in soil amendments, additional space defining elements, the design, layout and construction of a permeable and ADA accessible pathway and an AMAZING MURAL! Family Movie nights and the ability to have staff create regular learning opportunities were important additions as well. Look for Cooking Classes this winter and spring!
Probably one of the most impactful changes we have made this year, is the addition of Alexandra James-Okochi as our Deputy Director!! Alexandra comes to us with a wealth of experience, as the CEO of Trinity Family Life Center in Richmond, and the Chief Program Officer for a national non-profit supporting family engagement. Alexandra's passion for community empowerment and staff support is already making a huge difference in Groundwork's ability to bring sustainability and best practices to our own work.
We also had a really big summer! Both the Bike Shop's Camp Spokes youth and the Green Team went for multi-day camping and service learning trips to Shenandoah National Park and Pocahontas State Park here in Virginia. We have been especially excited to deepen our relationship with Pocahontas State Park, where Groundwork RVA alum and former Green Team Leader, Kalen Gilliam, is the Chief Ranger!
Our long-standing relationship with the National Parks Service continued to provide amazing opportunities for Richmond youth to travel out West and be bowled over by the beauty and majesty of Big Skies, Big Mountains and Vast Spaces. We were able to take youth on two trips to Yellowstone National Park, and one to Grand Teton National Park! These trips are always the most fondly remembered experiences that Groundwork RVA youth refer back to time and time again.
This year saw one of our former Green Teamers, Tatiana Turner, take the big step of joining the National Park Service's Traditional Trades Advancement Program. This 6-month paid program hones participant abilities in a variety of skills needed in the Parks. It also provides all the hours necessary to qualify for Preferred Hiring Authority for many NPS positions. We can't wait to see what comes next for this smart and capable young woman. That's her below, with co-workers and drilling a hole in a really large piece of timber!
In November, we held our first formal event: our 10-Year Anniversary Celebration. With around 200 guests, we celebrated, told stories, made new friends, and raised funds for our programs. It was a night to remember and and we are so grateful to all our friends and supporters who helped to make it happen. And if you haven’t seen our 10-year anniversary video yet, check it out here!
As the year comes to a close and we look look ahead to the future, it is bright and full of possibility. The next 10 years will be full of exciting work to: support Richmond’s young people by opening opportunities for their development and impactful experiences in nature; offset disparate health and resilience impacts in communities of color; create more green spaces where our city needs them; grow food in ways that clearly connect to the lives of our young people and the health and well-being of their communities; and work in new ways to cultivate the next generation of urban conservationists in right here in Richmond — and we thank YOU for coming along on this journey with us.