It’s the fourth day of our 12 Days of Charitable Giving! In December, I’ll be focusing on twelve charitable organizations that my readers have nominated as most deserving of your charitable donation. You have a couple more weeks to squeeze in your charitable deduction for tax purposes in 2013 – so why not consider one of our twelve?
Today’s featured charity is Sow Much Good.
Sow Much Good grows fresh fruit and vegetables for low-income communities in and around Charlotte, North Carolina.
The seeds for Sow Much Good were planted after founder Robin Emmons helped her brother find residence in a mental health facility. Emmons realized that her brother did not respond well to the canned and sugary foods at the facility – which it served because it didn’t have the funds for fresh foods – and donated homegrown produce.
As a result, her brother’s health improved dramatically. Emmons began dedicating her resources to eliminating barriers in the food system that disproportionately affects the working poor and underserved populations. and providing access to fresh, affordable food to communities. Part of the mission of the organization is also to educate and engage the community to adopt healthy eating habits.
A recent study from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte showed that more than 72,000 low-income city residents live in areas without a supermarket with fresh food. Nationwide, nearly 10% of the population in the U.S. live in economically depressed areas located more than a mile from a supermarket. Those “food deserts” result in populations with greater risks of cardiovascular disease and premature death.
Emmons tackled this problem locally by growing fresh fruits and vegetables and donating produce to local nonprofits. Today, she has 200 volunteers helping her tend 9 acres of crops on three sites; that produce is now sold at affordable prices. Since 2008, Sow Much Good has grown more than 26,000 pounds of fresh produce for underserved communities in Charlotte.
Education has been key. As part of its services, Sow Much Good distributes recipes and offers free cooking and canning classes. The idea is to help people help themselves. She also makes sure that food stamps can be used to buy not only food but seeds and seedlings so that ultimately, low-income communities can grow the food themselves.
Emmons’ efforts have paid off. As the organization has expanded, so has its profile. Notably, Emmons was nominated as one of CNN’s Top Heroes of 2013.
So how can you help?
Sow Much Good is supported by volunteers. If you want to volunteer in person, check out this page which lists volunteer opportunities.
You can donate online by heading over to the organization’s donation page on Facebook.
You can make your donation dollars count even more in 2013 by donating through Emmons’ CNN Heroes Fan Page. As a result, Subaru USA has partnered with CNN to match donations received through December 31, 2013 dollar for dollar. Just head on over to the Fan Page to donate.
To find out what’s going on at Sow Much Good or for another way to donate, get your mobile phone and text “SowMuchGood” to 24587.
The nonprofit is also in need of a range of items from trucks to tools to computers. If you or your organization produces these items or can obtain them at a low cost, please consider making an in-kind donation. You can find a complete list of what the organization needs here.
Finally, you can shop at Sow Much Good’s online store.
For more information on getting involved, check out this video featuring Emmons:
As always, you want to make sure that your donation is going to a qualified charitable organization. A search using the IRS’ Exempt Organizations Select Check reveals that So Much Good is on the IRS list of qualified charitable organizations. To find out more about the work of the organization, check out their website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
As we go along this month, I encourage you to check out the charities that made our list this year:
- 12 Days Of Charitable Giving 2013: Children Of Fallen Patriots
- 12 Days of Charitable Giving 2013: Kids Making It
- 12 Days Of Charitable Giving 2013: Flashes Of Hope
Remember, submissions to the 12 Days of Charitable Giving are made by readers and in most cases, I can’t personally vouch for the good work that these folks do. So be generous. But be smart. Do your homework.
For more on the tax considerations in making charitable donations, check out some of these prior posts:
- Making Your Gifts Count: 10 Smart Tips For Charitable Giving
- 12 Tips for Year-End Charitable Giving
- Ask the Taxgirl: Charitable Contributions and Receipts
