On a brisk Sunday in November, seventeen members of JIFFI’s staff caravanned to Green Bridge Growers to spend the morning volunteering. Green Bridge Growers is a sustainable farm whose mission is to create jobs that harness the skills of young adults with autism. Essentially, they grow organic vegetables for locals, while providing jobs for people in the community. Our purpose was to complete various tasks to help winterize the farm. One group helped build part of the frame of a greenhouse, while another spread compost over the main garden. A couple more people harvested and packaged the last of the beets and collard greens for the year. To conclude our morning, we took a full tour of the farm and their aquaponics facility. This service event was an excellent opportunity for JIFFI to connect with a local social enterprise and gain insight into the Greater South Bend food and job industries. Special thank you to Jan Pilarski and Green Bridge Growers for a fantastic service experience!
