Farm Fest & Community Days
Food, youth, families, joy. Neighbors gather for hands-on harvest fun.
🌱 Youth Gardening Program • Waterbury, CT
Growing Youth.
Growing Food.
Growing Community.
21 Youth Trained
500+ Hours Volunteered
6 Years Growing
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How would you like to step in?
Choose your path — every door leads to impact.
Youth agriculture & stewardship
Growing Youth. Growing Food. Growing Hope.
Youth in Waterbury learn to grow food, care for land, and build paid skills through festivals, mentorship, and community-led farm work.
Your support matters: $25 provides soil for 10 seedlings • $50 funds a youth training session
Why we exist
What Your Gift Supports
Urban Fresh Gardens transforms vacant lots into thriving gardens where Waterbury youth learn real job skills, earn real pay, and grow food for their community.
- $25 provides soil for 10 seedlings
- $50 funds one youth training session
- $100 equips a youth with tools for a season
- $250 sponsors a youth for the entire summer
✓ 100% of donations go directly to youth programs
🌱 Summer 2026 Funding Goal
$15,500 raised
$25,000 goal
Help us reach our goal to fund 30 youth jobs this summer!
💚 Donate to Help Us Reach Our Goal2026 vision
What we're building in 2026
Every event keeps youth paid, joyful, and rooted in community.
Learn-to-Earn Mentorship
Youth training, paid skills, and mentors guiding every shift.
Seedling & Vegetable Production
Selling plants and produce to fund youth jobs and school gardens.
How you can help
Wishlist: Donate What We Need Most
Click any item below to donate — we'll pick it up or you can drop off!
Already have supplies to donate?
We'll come pick them up — just click below to schedule!
"Working at Urban Fresh Gardens taught me skills I use every day. I learned teamwork, responsibility, and how to grow my own food. It changed my life."— Marcus, Age 16, Learn-to-Earn Graduate
Support by shopping
Buy Seedlings & Vegetables
Every purchase funds youth training and wages.
Volunteer with us
Hands in the soil, hearts in the city.
30+ youth learn hands-on gardening every week with volunteer support
- Help plant seedlings
- Maintain garden beds
- Summer garden care
- Farm events & cleanup
The heart of our program
Mentorship Changes Everything.
One caring adult can transform a young person's future.
Why Mentorship Matters
Youth don't just need jobs — they need someone who believes in them. Our mentors walk alongside young people, teaching skills, building confidence, and showing up consistently.
2 hrs
per week commitment
1:4
mentor to youth ratio
100%
training provided
What Mentors Do
- 🌱 Guide small crews during garden work
- 📋 Help youth set and track weekly goals
- 🎉 Celebrate harvests and milestones together
- 💬 Listen, encourage, and show up consistently
- 🛠️ Share your skills (no gardening experience needed!)
"Mentoring here is the highlight of my week. Watching a shy kid become a team leader — that's the real harvest."— Gregory Knight, Volunteer Mentor (9 years)
"My mentor believed in me before I believed in myself. Now I'm training new youth."— Jaylen, Age 17, Former Mentee → Crew Leader
Ready to make a difference?
No gardening experience required. Just show up, care, and be present.
Our work in action
Watch Youth Grow With Us
Planting Day
Greenhouse
Harvest Time
Community Event
Youth Learning
Ready to Grow With Us?
Your support keeps our Learn-to-Earn youth program growing strong.
100% of your donation goes directly to youth programs.
Choose an amount to give:
$
Other ways to give:
- 📧 Zelle: urbanfreshgardens@gmail.com
- 💵 Cash/Check: Contact us to arrange
- 🌱 Donate supplies: See our wishlist
Secure payment via PayPal. We never see your payment details.
Or email us directly at urbanfreshgardens@gmail.com