VEJ receives grants for COVID relief

This summer, VEJ received two grants to support its efforts to feed people who are suffering the effects of the COVID crisis in Detroit.

Co.Act Detroit and United Way of Southeast Michigan each granted VEJ funds to improve its garden and provide food and jobs in northwest Detroit. 

"We're always so thankful to community partners like Co.Act and United Way when they support our neighbors and neighborhood through their grants," said VEJ executive director BT Irwin. "We literally could not do what we are doing this year without this kind of generous support."

Irwin said the grants are funding the employment of local youth at the garden as well as improvements that will make the garden more accessible to the public. 

"Since we started gardening at Greydale and Puritan back in 2015, we've always had a dream of the garden being a real resource that gets used by as many neighbors as possible," said Irwin. "These grants and the people and projects they fund will get us much closer to that dream coming true."