In 2022, the Wills Group provided a $20,000 grant to help expand Farming 4 Hunger’s pilot greenhouse program at the College of Southern Maryland to bring their innovative solution for increasing food production to St. Mary’s. With the program successfully underway, the Wills Group is proud to participate in hands-on volunteerism at Farming 4 Hunger on October 19. Employees met at Serenity Farm in Hughesville, MD for a morning of team building, crop harvesting, and farm education.
While Farming 4 Hunger grows and distributes fresh produce to address hunger in Southern Maryland, the organization’s mission extends beyond physical hunger and nutrition by acknowledging that healthy bodies contribute to healthy minds and that building community is essential for people to thrive.
To bring their program to life, Farming 4 Hunger partners with the local correctional facilities to engage people who are or were incarcerated to volunteer at the farm and lead activities with community groups. During the Wills Group’s visit, the individuals gave guided tours, led team-building exercises, and shared the organization’s history as well as their own experiences. Farming 4 Hunger believes sharing personal stories and experiences helps participants from different backgrounds connect, build empathy, and unite in a shared goal to end hunger.
Nourishing bodies, flourishing communities
Nearly 1 in 3 Marylanders face food insecurity at home. By partnering with food aid groups like Farming 4 Hunger, the Wills Group can have an immediate impact on that statistic while spreading awareness of the need for food assistance in Southern Maryland communities.
Well-balanced food sources are such a critical component of a healthy lifestyle and yet fresh produce is a scarcity at community food banks. By helping Farming 4 Hunger harvest and distribute farm-fresh food, the Wills Group can help fill a nutritional void in food-scarce populations, enabling them to focus their energies on other basic necessities.
At the Wills Group, our employees are passionate about giving back to the communities in which they live and work. They inspire our corporate fundraising efforts and identify opportunities where we can have an impact.
This year’s volunteer day is just one of several community service outings spearheaded by our employee-run Community Engagement committees.
Community Engagement at the Wills Group
Addressing hunger is one of two areas that we focus on in our Community Engagement efforts. One of our Signature Programs, Nourishing Children and Families, reflects the understanding that children thrive when their families thrive.
This theme is paramount to the Wills Group’s purpose of keeping Lives in Motion – an expression of how we help our community, our employees, and our customers move toward their goals and dreams.
By providing fresh produce and food resources to children and their families, we can help improve their health and well-being, thereby moving them closer to achieving their goals – the very essence of keeping Lives in Motion.
