Branch Brook Park Alliance
Concourse Hill Urban Farm Project, Newark, NJ The Rita Allen Foundation is supporting efforts to develop the Concourse Hill Urban Farm into an economically and ecologically sustainable area within Branch Brook Park that produces fresh fruits and vegetables for local neighborhoods in Newark. Plans call for the Farm to be an open-air classroom for agriculture and food education as well as an avenue that may be adapted to teach urban farming techniques and workforce development. The Farm will also be an added attraction for visitors to Branch Brook Park.
Isles Inc., Urban Agriculture and Farm-Education Project
Isles received a grant from the Rita Allen Foundation to build the organization’s capacity in urban agriculture and education activities. These activities support Isles’ mission to foster self-reliance in healthy, sustainable communities by providing effective strategies to increase food access and the consumption of healthy foods.
PopTech, PeaceTXT Project
PeaceTXT is a collaborative demonstration project that brings together three organizations: CeaseFire, Ushahidi and FrontLineSMS:Medic to evaluate how mobile technology and visual mapping tools can increase the reach and effectiveness of CeaseFire’s anti-violence work. CeaseFire has pioneered an evidence-based public health approach to reducing shootings and killings. Their methods for reversing the epidemic of street violence use highly trained interrupters and outreach staff, public education campaigns and community mobilization.
Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association, a New Natural Approach to Wastewater Management The purpose of this project is to construct an innovative, wetlands-based wastewater treatment system that provides a cleaner alterative to processing wastewater for residents or offices that now use municipal systems. Once constructed, this more effective, more energy efficient and environmentally conscious model will be made available to builders, architects and other key decision makers to encourage adoption of a natural approach.
