(St. Leon, IN) – The East Central FFA chapter has been awarded a $3,000 Yearlong Living to Serve Grant.
The nationwide program provides grant money to local FFA chapters to support yearlong service-learning projects that address needs related to community safety; environmental responsibility; hunger, health and nutrition; and community engagement.
EC was the only FFA chapter in Indiana to receive a yearlong grant.
East Central FFA plans to help address accessibility to gardening by building 30 handicapped accessible raised garden beds (pictured) and distribute them to local community gardens and persons or families who have the need for one.
Many elderly people also have physical limitations that prevent them from traditional gardening.
By completing this grant project members of the community will be able to increase physical activity and improve healthy habits to promote physical and mental well-being while gardening.
FFA members will build all raised beds in the East Central High School agriculture shop.
“For the aging and disabled people in our community, these accessible raised garden beds allow them to easily continue on with a long lasting hobby or to venture into a new one. In making these raised beds, East Central FFA members are able to learn new skills and feel accomplished in that they are doing something for the community,” said East Central FFA Chapter President Isabelle Leurck.
East Central FFA will work with Shyra Tedesco, director and co-founder of the Southeast Indiana (SEI) Community Gardens to find locations for the raised beds.
The grant program provided over $176,590 to FFA chapters in 29 states. The 2024-2025 FFA Yearlong Living to Serve Grants are sponsored by Cargill and Tractor Supply Company. For more information about the 2024-25 Living to Serve Grants, visit FFA.org/livingtoserve.
The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 1,027,200 student members as part of 9,235 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
