The Growing Center Inc

What it reported doing in 2023

Our community outreach programs promote being physically active, healthy eating, and the fun and benefits of growing our own food. We enthusiastically educate these future gardeners in growing organic and chemical free gardens. We teach them about the advantages of composting, being environmentally responsible and earth friendly gardeners. While being physically active we also encourage team work, social skills and reaching goals. The Growing Center also offers adult monthly stress reductions classes. We offer gardening information, a horticultural therapy activity and a meditation/reflection segment. The Parents of Murdered Children are parents who have lost a child through an act of violence. These parents come to us for bereavement support. We have designated an area of our Healing Garden to these families to create memorial gardens. This gives the families a place other then a cemetery to reflect on loving memories they have of their child. We incorporate the stories of these tragic deaths into our youth at risk programs. While we weed these particular gardens we talk about making good choices in life, the grief of the families and the life cut short. It is a sobering lesson that makes an impression on these at- risk young adults. The Growing Center conducts annual workshops for the American Cancer Society. Our workshops are for cancer survivors and their families. We use stress reduction and calming horticultural therapy sessions. These are well attended and very successful outreach programs. 0 0 2 Horticultural therapy uses physical and psychological approaches, conducted in a natural non-threatening environment, such as a garden or greenhouse, surrounded by plants, flowers and kind, caring instructors. Horticultural therapy considers all the senses.Allow me to give you an idea of what a typical schedule of horticultural therapy programs is like on an average weekday at The Growing Center. Morning programs from 8:30 AM until noon consist of 8-12 alternative education students, along with their teacher and counselor. They could be potting plants, working on a maintenance project such as mulching or pulling weeds in the greenhouses. These youth at risk participants learn to work as a team to improve their social skills, self-image and completing a goal. During this same time a group of 10-12 emotionally challenged participants, along with their program specialist, would be in the Healing Garden enjoying a nature walk or they could be in another greenhouse working with plants. In the afternoon 8-10 senior citizens from a senior center volunteer for two hours. On weekdays after school, high school students from environmental science/ biology classes volunteer their time, and in return learn about organic growing methods and agriculture conservation techniques. Two evenings a week during the hours of 6-8:30 PM we have various church youth groups, civic organizations, garden clubs and scout troops volunteer to work on various projects. During an average week we have 60-100 participants visit The Growing Center. This does not include our classroom visits to schools and assisted living facilities.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 0%; rating input score 0
• Program expense ratio: 0%; rating input score 0

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Limited

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -8.5%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -10.3% per year; rating input score 0; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -8.5% per year; rating input score 0; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -6% per year; rating input score 0; 23rd percentile among comparable filings