Katies Krops

THE MISSION OF KATIE'S KROPS IS TO EMPOWER YOUTH TO START AND MAINTAIN VEGETABLE GARDENS OF ALL SIZES AND DONATE THE HARVEST TO HELP FEED PEOPLE IN NEED, AS WELL AS TO ASSIST AND INSPIRE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME.

IN 2021, WITH COVID-19 STILL IMPACTING ALL OF OUR LIVES, WE CONTINUED TO ADAPT TO MEET THE EXPANDING NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CHALLENGES. YET, WE DERIVED INSPIRATION TO CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL AND LEAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. WE ARE THRILLED TO SHARE THAT WE HAD A RECORD-BREAKING YEAR. COLLECTIVELY OUR YOUNG GROWERS DONATED 49,457 POUNDS OF PRODUCE TO HELP END HUNGER IN THEIR COMMUNITIES KATIE, OUR FOUNDER, MADE KATIE'S KROPS HER FULL-TIME CAREER AFTER GRADUATING FROM THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON IN MAY OF 2020. A CHILDHOOD DREAM COMING TRUE, KATIE QUICKLY TRANSITIONED FROM A VOLUNTEER, A POSITION SHE HELD FOR 13 YEARS, TO STAFF AND GOT TO WORK. KATIE'S BRIGHTNESS SHINED IN 2021 AS SHE WAS FEATURED IN A PEOPLETV SEGMENT CALLED "MY LIFE NOW," WHICH HIGHLIGHTED HER JOURNEY AND MESSAGE THROUGH KATIE'S KROPS. THIS WAS A FOLLOW-UP PIECE TO THE NUMEROUS ARTICLES THAT PEOPLE MAGAZINE HAS DONE ON HER. THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON NAMED KATIE ONE OF THE TOP 15 GRADUATES IN ITS 250-YEAR HISTORY. HIGH-PROFILED ALUMNI SUCH AS BRETT GARDNER, MATT CZUCHRY, AND ANTHONY JOHNSON WERE AMONG THE LIST OF NAMES. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2021, KATIE'S KROPS WAS RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONALLY WHILE BEING SELECTED FOR THE NATION-BUILDING YOUTH'S AWARD FROM THE NATION- BUILDING INSTITUTE INTERNATIONAL HELD IN BANGKOK, THAILAND. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=MLNT4OS7X8W WE KICKED OFF THE NEW YEAR BY WELCOMING A RECORD NUMBER OF NEW YOUNG KATIE'S KROPS GROWERS, THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SEVENTY-FIVE YOUTH BETWEEN THE AGES OF 7-16 FROM OVER TWENTY STATES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES JOINED OUR GROWING FAMILY. THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR WE LOWERED THE GROWING AGE FROM 9 TO 7, AND WE WERE AMAZED BY THE DEDICATION AND HARD WORK PUT IN BY ALL OF OUR YOUTH GROWERS. THEY WORKED TIRELESSLY TO PROVIDE THEIR COMMUNITY WITH FRESH PRODUCE WHEN NEEDED MOST, AND WE COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF THEM FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY, WE HOSTED A SOCIAL DISTANCING SERVICE PROJECT WHERE SEVENTY-FIVE KIDS STARTED SEEDS AT THEIR HOMES TO HELP FAMILIES FACING FOOD INSECURITY CREATE THEIR OWN EDIBLE GARDENS. THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM RESULTED IN US SHARING HUNDREDS OF TOMATO AND PEPPER SEEDLINGS THAT WERE THEN SHARED WITH KATIE'S KROPS DINNER GUESTS AND FOOD PANTRY CLIENTS. THE FEEDBACK WAS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE, AND FAMILIES STRUGGLING TO PURCHASE HEALTHY FOOD GREW THEIR OWN PRODUCE. WE ALSO LAUNCHED A VAST EXPANSION OF OUR FLAGSHIP GARDEN THAT INCREASED GROWING SPACE BY ONE-THIRD THANKS TO THE BOEING EMPLOYEE COMMUNITY FUND AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO HELPED DURING CONSTRUCTION. OUR NEW OUTDOOR CLASSROOM ONE OF OUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS FROM THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN OPENING OUR OUTDOOR CLASSROOM. WE WERE THRILLED TO BEGIN OFFERING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE LOWCOUNTRY IN A NATURAL OUTDOOR SETTING. THE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM HOSTS ARTS AND CRAFTS, SCIENCE CLASSES, YOGA, STORYTIME, WEATHER TALKS, AND MORE. WE TRULY APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO HELPED CONTRIBUTE TO THE CLASSROOM OPENING AND IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT OVER 70% OF FAMILIES WHO ATTENDED OUR CLASSES BECAME VOLUNTEERS WHO CONTINUE TO HELP US GROW. THE CLASSROOM IS LOCATED IN OUR FLAGSHIP GARDEN. KATIE'S KROPS DINNERS WITH THE PANDEMIC STILL UPON US, WE WERE SADDENED NOT TO DO ANY MONTHLY SIT-DOWN GARDEN-TO-TABLE DINNERS BUT WERE PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS FROM OUR DINNERS TO-GO AS WE SAW IN 2020, THERE WAS A GROWING DEMAND FOR FOOD WITH PEOPLE BEING QUARANTINED AND BUSINESSES SHUT DOWN, AND THAT DEMAND ONLY INCREASED IN 2021. WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING AND INCREASED VOLUNTEER SUPPORT, WE SUCCESSFULLY MET THESE HIGH DEMANDS WHILE SERVING A RECORD NUMBER OF MEALS THIS PAST YEAR IN 2021, WE PREPARED AND SERVED OVER 25,000 FREE GARDEN-TO-TABLE TO-GO MEALS AND, WITH OUR DELIVERY SYSTEM IMPROVED, WERE ABLE TO DELIVER AN ADDITIONAL 7,000 MEALS IN CONTRAST, WE SERVED 18,000 MEALS IN 2020 AND 2,250 IN 2018. RIPPLE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2021, WE WERE BLESSED TO JOIN THE RIPPLE FAMILY OFFICIALLY. RIPPLE SERVES AS AN OPEN OFFICE SPACE FOR NON-PROFITS IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON. THE NON-PROFIT INCUBATOR ALLOWS MEMBERS TO USE THE FACILITY FOR WORKSPACE, BOARD MEETINGS, AND FUNDRAISERS FREE OF CHARGE. BY JOINING RIPPLE, WE HAVE CONNECTED AND COLLABORATED WITH MANY LIKE-MINDED NONPROFITS AND WELCOME OUR INTERN, LIAM, ONBOARD TO HELP US GROW WE ARE VERY EXCITED FOR THE NEW OPPORTUNITIES JOINING RIPPLE WILL PRESENT TO US AND ARE CERTAIN IT WILL HELP US CONTINUE TO GROW AND EXPAND OUR FOOTPRINT. SEEDS OF CHANGE WE WERE PROUD TO BRING BACK OUR SEEDS OF CHANGE PROGRAM AFTER ITS MASSIVE SUCCESS IN 2020. WITH MANY CHILDREN STILL FORCED TO QUARANTINE, FAMILIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY REQUESTED SEEDS TO HELP START THEIR OWN GARDEN AT HOME WHILE BEING ABLE TO SHARE THE HARVEST OR USE IT THEMSELVES. IN 2021 WE ENGAGED WITH OVER 180 INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES SPREAD OUT OVER 24 STATES. WE COULD NOT BE MORE SATISFIED WITH THE PROGRAM'S OUTCOME AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS TRADITION. SHARING LOVE WITH OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND FRONTLINE WORKERS: IN 2021, WE WERE HAPPY TO HAVE SUPPORTED FIRST RESPONDERS AND FRONTLINE WORKERS. THEY HAVE BEEN HEROES TO MANY OVER THIS PANDEMIC, AND WE COULD NOT BE MORE THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING THEY DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THIS PAST YEAR, WE VISITED THE SUMMERVILLE MEDICAL CENTER, WHERE WE DONATED FRESH PRODUCE, BOUQUETS, HANDCRAFTED THANK YOU CARDS MADE BY OUR YOUNG VOLUNTEERS, AND BEEKMAN LOTIONS AND SOAPS. WE ALSO SUPPORTED POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS THIS PAST YEAR, AND WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE