Looking Back at 2020
January 4th, 2021
It was not the year any of us expected, to say the least. Our hearts go out to everyone who has lost loved ones and livelihoods to this terrible virus. Somehow, despite the unimaginable hardships and losses we have suffered, there have been bright spots of goodness through it all.
In January, we granted out over $40,000 to local organizations making our community a better place including Empty Bowls McKinney, Hugs Cafe, and Grow Garden Grow, a program developed by Kim Aman that equips and empowers teachers to lead garden curricula in elementary schools. Grow Garden Grow is now being piloted in six local Title 1 schools. Kim’s pictures of children fascinated by seedlings and honeybees never fail to make me smile.
As the pandemic hit, the SPF became a founding member of the One Heart McKinney coalition of City, business, church, and nonprofit leaders assembled to respond to and recover from the effects of COVID-19. The One Heart McKinney team has distributed over $150,000 to the local nonprofits helping our community access food, healthcare, and housing through the crisis. It’s been heartening to witness in a time where so many of our citizens found themselves in need, our community banded together to leave no one behind. As Mr. Rogers often said, “Look for the Helpers.”
Our most exciting news out of 2020 is the merger with our donation farm McKinney Roots. We’ve hired a full time farmer, Tucker Nickols, and with his hard work and the guidance of new Executive Director Vicki Deerman, McKinney Roots aims to produce over 20,000 pounds of food in 2021 and a hundred dozen eggs every week for the hungry in Collin County. In a year where food insecurity has impacted so much of our community, including many people that never experienced it before, we are so eager to start growing and distributing fresh, organic food. If you’re interested in volunteering, sign up here!
As we become able to safely gather again, we can’t wait to resume our favorite Seed Project Foundation events like Supper with a Cause, Farm to Table Symposiums, and Farm Tours. There is so much to be excited about just around the corner.