_An Edhat ReaderThe community economic development organization Blue Sky Center has been awarded a three-year $30,000 grant from The Fund for Santa Barbara to support its Cuyama Valley Jardines Victoria (Victory Gardens) project.
Led by Land Steward Sandra Uribe, the food security and leadership development program is in its fourth year and has installed 45 home gardens, building economic self-sufficiency and empowerment through peer-to-peer workshops such as grape grafting, seed planting, garlic cultivation, nopales canning, bordado (embroidery), and a Posada community gathering.
“As the steward of the Victoria Gardens project at Blue Sky Center, I’m excited about its steady growth, which is thanks to all the individuals and organizations that make it possible, not least of which includes the Fund for Santa Barbara,” program leader Sandra Uribe says. “This will allow us to expand our programs and build gardens with even more families.”
This grant will be used to increase the number of families in the Jardines Victoria project, train community members to become garden coordinators, and offer a myriad of technical, culinary, and creative programming that bolsters the strength and identity of the Cuyama Valley food system.
Blue Sky Center expresses gratitude to the FUND for their commitment to community-driven initiatives, aligning with Blue Sky Center’s mission to empower Cuyama Valley families by promoting economic savings, entrepreneurship opportunities, and food sovereignty.
More about Blue Sky Center and The Fund for Santa Barbara:
Blue Sky Center is building models for resilient, thriving, and inclusive rural economies in the Cuyama Valley. As a place-based nonprofit organization, our creative team prioritizes projects and collaborations that celebrate the abundance of Cuyama. Read the Community Action Plan at www.blueskycenter.org/action-plan and learn about our Made in Cuyama project at www.madeincuyama.com.
The Fund for Santa Barbara (est. 1980) is a non-traditional community foundation that supports organizations and groups working for progressive social change in Santa Barbara County.
The FUND is dedicated to helping find solutions to current and emerging social problems and issues that challenge our society as a whole. We understand that social conditions improve most dramatically when those who have been denied power and justice lead on their own behalf to confront, challenge, and change the conditions that have denied them access to justice and equity.
For media inquiries, please contact: Joal Stein, Blue Sky Center, joal@blueskycenter.org
