Alpine Bank Boulder employees love working in their “green” LEED Gold-certified building. They also welcome the chance to get outside and get their hands dirty volunteering at Growing Gardens whenever they can. Growing Gardens is a remarkable nonprofit organization that has brought sustainable agriculture education and food donations to over 136,000 Boulder County residents over the last 20 years.
In 2020, the upheaval caused by COVID-19 has intensified the need for greater food security and hunger relief in the Boulder community. A team of Alpine Bank Boulder employees volunteered several shifts to maintain greenhouses and weed plots to help Growing Gardens meet this critical community need.
“We thought the idea of reconnecting people with the land and growing local food was awesome, so a number of us created a work crew and pulled one heck of a lot of weeds,” said Susan Graf, vice president, Regional Business Development for Alpine Bank. “With the pandemic, there are so many more people needing assistance, and we were glad to play a small part.”
Alpine Bank’s commitment to environmental sustainability and to giving back to the Boulder community it serves align closely with the mission of Growing Gardens. These shared goals spurred the bank to grow its support of the nonprofit, stepping up to become a financial sponsor and increasing participation in its annual fundraising gala. Alpine Customer Service Representative Esteban Rayos is also an active volunteer with Growing Gardens’ “Cultiva” youth leadership program.
Growing Gardens’ programs empower people of all ages, income levels and abilities by reconnecting them with their local food systems and teaching gardening, cooking and nutrition education. Get more information about opportunities to learn about sustainable urban agriculture, pull some weeds as a volunteer or donate to support this community resource: www.growinggardens.org.
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