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Meet James R. Gardner
Positive Direction for Youth and Families
“Embrace, Empower, Equip”
How did your organization start?
The organization was founded over 30 years ago with an effort to provide community members with skills, information and the proper resources to achieve success in every area of live.
What issue are you addressing?
Among our core focuses is to systemically eliminate food insecurity in our community, while creating a legacy of health and self-sufficiency.
Where did your passion for this cause come from?
I am an educator in the Guilford County Public School system. Over my years of teaching I find that one of the biggest distractors for my students is hunger. It is virtually impossible to teach a hungry student. The statistics are everywhere. It is hard to ignore the fact that the East Greensboro community is a food desert. The students there are starving. I have heard countless recounts of students who's parent didn't come home the night before and they didn't have anything to eat. Seeing this need fueled my passion for change. Growing up with a very large garden afforded me the skill set necessary to tend to the soil, plant and harvest vegetables.
Why is your work so important for Greensboro?
The Eastern/ Southeastern Greensboro communities currently have 9 grocery stores supplied by big box manufacturers. The Western and Northwestern areas in Greensboro have more than 47 grocery stores. The apartheid plaguing the east is directly impacting black and brown families. It is our goal as an organization to provide community members with skills, information and the proper resources to carry out their family responsibilities and achieve success in every area of life. By providing healthy options for consumption, we can instill a new sense of pride for the community. We can help to uproot systemic racism that is prevalent in our neighborhoods. We are changing the narrative of where we get our food from. Our garden will be the hub for life-giving foods and a model for sustainable agriculture.
What are you most excited for as it relates to FF10?
The relationships that I've gained even to this point are matchless. I love being around like-minded individuals who collectively will change Greensboro for the better.
What have you already learned from the process?
I've learned that if my vision is clear i can accomplish everything that I set my mind to.
What do you hope to get out of FF10?
I hope to gain knowledge that I otherwise would not have gained. The things I've learned so far around marketing and storytelling have been matchless. Hopefully that continues.