Sustainable Food Center needs our support - Are you up for the challenge?

UPDATE:  As of Thursday, May 4, SFC has raised $13,129.39 toward the matching grant which means we need to raise another $11,870.61 by the end of the day on Thursday, May 12.  Have you donated yet?  You can donate online today or mail a check to: Sustainable Food Center, 1106 Clayton Lane, Suite 480W, Austin, Texas 78723.  Please note in the comment or memo that you are donating for the Still Water Foundation match. 

Have you ever had $25 magically become $50?  Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?  What if you could turn your $25 into $50,000?  I’d consider that a pretty great return on my investment.

Fortunately, we each have an opportunity to not only double our investment, but to help the Sustainable Food Center (SFC) raise $50,000.  You may know SFC best as the organization that runs three of Austin’s farmers markets (Downtown, Sunset Valley and The Triangle), but you may not know of the other work they do strengthen our local food system and improve access to fresh, nutritious food. 

Grow Local supports our community gardens and gardening classes.  Sprouting Healthy Kids offers programs to elementary and middle schools to teach kids gardening and nutrition and to bring more local produce into those schools.  And, last but not least, The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre ™  cooking and nutrition classes teach people how to prepare healthy meals and snacks for their families, and how to shop with the seasons for whole, unprocessed food.

Luckily, Still Water Foundation believes in these programs and is willing to invest in them to the tune of $25,000.  But, there’s a catch.   Those of us who care about a healthy, vibrant local food community and culture have to match them dollar for dollar.

SFC has raised over $11,000 already and they need our help to raise the other $14,000 by May 12th.   We can totally do this.  In 18 days, we need to raise $778 per day.  If 560 of us give $25,  SFC will reach the goal. 

What will they do with the $50,000 they raise?  With waiting lists for most of their program offerings, SFC is in great need of unrestricted funds (individual donations from community members like you!) Demand for The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre ™  far exceeds the 13 sessions currently scheduled on an annual basis.  At the cost of $4,000 per session (6 weeks of classes), SFC could offer another 12 sessions with this funding, for example.

So, do you believe in SFC $25 worth?  Would you be willing to bring your lunch to work a couple of times or skip a night out over the next 2.5 weeks to invest in the food security of our community?  I made some room in my budget.  Won’t you join me?

You can donate online today or mail a check to:

Sustainable Food Center

1106 Clayton Lane

Suite 480W

Austin, Texas 78723

Please note in the comment or memo that you are donating for the Still Water Foundation match. 

Please help spread the word, and now go donate!   We only have 559 to go because I donated before I posted.