Press Release
To meet their community’s growing needs, Katie’s Krops is launching a vast expansion of their flagship garden that will increase their growing space by one-third. The development is being made possible with Boeing Employee Community Fund of South Carolina's generous support.
“I am so grateful to the Boeing South Carolina teammates for their support of Katie’s Krops and allowing us to increase our growing space to feed even more of our neighbors in need,” said Katie Stagliano, founder of Katie’s Krops. Our outreach has expanded dramatically in the past year due to the pandemic. The Boeing teammates are helping us meet the increased demand.”
Volunteers will execute the garden build from Leadership Dorchester.
“Our biggest hurdle for Leadership Dorchester this year was not being able to fundraise for a big community service project like other classes have done in years past,” said Susan Cox, lead volunteer for the Katie’s Krops Garden build. “It just was not the right time to be asking small businesses for donations when so many haven’t survived the pandemic or are scraping the bottom now. We had to get creative and went on a search to find projects that were already funded but needed some sweat equity. We did set some criteria though. We were looking for a project that was achievable and sustainable. It needed to be an urgent need that would have an impact on our diverse community. So, when Katie’s Krops submitted a proposal, it was a unanimous vote to help. They had turned a monthly dinner into a weekly dinner for much of the first year of the pandemic to help anyone in need within our community. We knew we had to return the favor (like that Mike Rose show) and make sure they have everything they need to continue to help the community.”
The Katie’s Krops flagship garden is located on the campus of Crossroads Community Church in Summerville. Volunteers of all ages volunteer year-round, working in the space, tending to the gardens, and sharing the harvest. Everything grown in all Katie’s Krops garden is shared with food pantries, homeless shelters, emergency food programs, and directly with families facing hunger and food insecurity. In 2020 Katie’s Krops Growers collectively donated over 50,000 pounds of produce, and the Katie’s Krops Dinners expanded to serve over 18,000 healthy free meals.
If you are interested in volunteering to grow a healthy end to hunger, please visit the Katie’s Krops website to sign up for the volunteer list, www.KatiesKrops.com.
