CORDELE – Hand of Hope Inc. has received a $2,500 donation from America’s Farmers Grow Communities, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund and directed by local farmer, Clayton Bloodworth of Wilcox County. The donation will help the organization create a community garden onsite to be grown, harvested and prepared for a community-wide dinner. The purpose of the dinner is to bring the citizens of Cordele/Crisp County together and encourage people of all races and religions to come together build a bridge
“I know Donna Stripling very well,” said Clayton Bloodworth the farmer who applied for the grant. “She is a true woman of God and I know that she would use the money in a positive manner. She does not like credit for her own actions and I know she will use the money to glorify God in what He has set out for her to do at Hand of Hope. It is a good cause, a good thing she is trying to do.”
“Hand of Hope is grateful to receive the money to move forward with another project to help share the love of God with the people of this community,” said Donna Stripling. “I began thinking about a community garden and what it would entail to make it happen. Then out of nowhere within a week God sent that answer through Clayton, who advised we would be receiving that grant. God has truly provided the way for me to do so many things for Him. All the credit and glory for everything Hand of Hope has been able and will be doing in the future goes to Him and Him alone. The next of course will be the community garden. Having been raised on a farm and understanding the closeness of farming families and their willingness to help one another is what inspired the Community Garden. I have a vision of the people of Cordele/Crisp County; All races, genders, ages and religions coming together and toiling the land, planting and watering the seed and watching God make the harvest plentiful. Then after all the hard work is done, coming together in fellowship one with another, and enjoying the fruits of their labor together as one people, one mind and one accord, God’s people. That’s who we are. We are not just black or white or Hispanic. We are not just East side or West side. We are all God’s children.”
For six years, America’s Farmers Grow Communities has collaborated with farmers to donate over $22 million to more than 8,000 community organizations across rural America. Winning farmers will direct donations to nonprofits to help fight rural hunger, purchase life saving fire and EMS equipment, support ag youth leadership programs, buy much needed classroom resources, and so much more.
America’s Farmers Grow Communities partners with farmers to support local nonprofit causes that positively impact farming communities across rural America. Grow Communities is one program in the America’s Farmers community outreach effort, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. Other programs include America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders, which encourages rural youth to remain in agriculture and provides $1,500 college scholarships to high school and college students pursuing ag-related degrees and America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, which works with farmers to nominate rural school districts to compete for $10,000 and $25,000 math and science grants. Visit www.AmericasFarmers.com to learn more.
About the Monsanto Fund
The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where farmers and Monsanto Company employees live and work. Visit the Monsanto Fund at www.monsantofund.org.