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Changemakers of the week: GRuB and SparkNJ
Every day on the Optimist Daily, we report on solutions from around the world. Though we love solutions big and small, the ones that emerge from our local communities often have the greatest impact.
We are pleased to present the penultimate round of The Optimist Daily’s Local Changemakers series! This is our way of expressing gratitude to our Optimist Daily community. We hope you enjoy learning about these solutions-oriented individuals and organizations as much as we did.
Cultivating connection: GRuB plants seeds for a healthier community
In a small corner of Olympia, Washington, a nonprofit organization is proving that good food and good company can lead to great change. GRuB (Garden-Raised Bounty) is more than just a farm—it’s a place where people of all ages and backgrounds come together. Since its founding in 1993, GRuB has been turning soil into solutions, using agriculture as a tool to nurture people, empower communities, and plant seeds of equity and resilience, quietly revolutionizing the way communities approach food security, education, and connection.
More Than a Garden
At GRuB, the mission is straightforward yet profound: “Growing healthy food, people, and community.” Through innovative programs and deep community engagement, GRuB has become a light of hope in Olympia and beyond. Greg, a community member who nominated the organization for the local change maker series, captured its impact perfectly:
“GRuB provides a wide variety of community outreach programs, ranging from building raised-bed gardens for people’s homes to training military veterans to become beekeepers and farmers. Its deep roots in our community are far-reaching.”
Participants of GRuB’s garden programs; courtesy of GRuB
Growing connections across generations
One of GRuB’s standout initiatives is the Growing Home Collective, which Greg describes as a program that “uplifts the leadership and voices of Black people, many of whom are still experiencing the impacts of the legacy of American oppression and slavery.” By creating sacred spaces for rest, relaxation, and resilience, the initiative fosters a sense of belonging and empowerment, amplifying voices that have historically been marginalized.
Another transformative effort is GRuB’s Veteran Programs, which provide veterans with opportunities to heal, connect, and contribute through agriculture. “GRuB creates a non-confrontational environment where veterans work shoulder to shoulder, immersed in the healing nature of the outdoors, agriculture, and dirt work,” Greg says. This hands-on approach helps veterans rediscover purpose and community, allowing them to continue serving in ways that nourish both themselves and those around them.
Sowing the seeds of education
GRuB’s work with youth and education is equally impactful. The organization has a long history of empowering young people through hands-on learning and leadership development. By teaching skills like gardening, teamwork, and community engagement, GRuB is shaping a generation of changemakers who understand the importance of food systems and environmental stewardship.
But GRuB’s reach doesn’t stop there. “Its powerful youth and community development programs have directly benefited folks in Thurston County for years,” Greg notes. “Now, it provides coaching and training, or what it calls ‘pollination,’ to support communities that wish to develop their own GRuB-like programs.” This approach extends GRuB’s mission far beyond Olympia, inspiring similar initiatives in other areas.
A team rooted in purpose
Behind GRuB’s success is a dedicated team that believes wholeheartedly in the organization’s mission. Together with countless volunteers, they bring GRuB’s vision to life, cultivating not just food but also hope and opportunity.
At its core, GRuB’s work is about creating an equitable world where everyone is nourished—by food, by relationships, and by opportunities to learn and grow. Whether it’s building gardens for families, offering veterans a place to heal, or creating spaces for underrepresented voices to thrive, GRuB proves that a garden can be so much more than just a patch of soil. It’s where they are cultivating a movement—one garden, one community, one life at a time.
For more information on GRuB’s work and how you may get involved, visit their website here.
SparkNJ: empowering local changemakers through trust and equity
Sometimes, the most transformative solutions come from reimagining the way we give. That’s exactly what SparkNJ is doing in northern New Jersey, where their trust-based philanthropic model is reshaping how support reaches Black-led organizations. By offering unrestricted funding and amplifying the work of local changemakers, SparkNJ is building bridges across communities and sparking real change.
Ruth, who nominated SparkNJ as a local changemaker, says it best: “SparkNJ is making a real difference in our local area by highlighting the work that small, local, Black-led organizations are doing for our entire community, Black and white. SparkNJ is promoting racial equity by supporting these organizations and also by making what they do visible to all.”
A trust-based approach
At the heart of SparkNJ’s work is its innovative trust-based funding model. Instead of asking grassroots organizations to jump through bureaucratic hoops, SparkNJ relies on the community to nominate Black-led nonprofits doing impactful work. By cutting out red tape, they provide leaders with the flexibility and resources to focus on creating change.
Trust-based funding allows SparkNJ to support organizations that are closest to the challenges and solutions. This approach ensures that funding goes where it’s needed most while honoring the expertise of local leaders.
Promoting racial equity
SparkNJ’s mission is rooted in a commitment to racial equity. In the interest of promoting racial equity, they strive to build a diverse community that provides trust-based funding to Black-led nonprofit organizations. By uplifting these organizations, SparkNJ addresses systemic inequities and helps ensure all communities have the resources they need to thrive.
The organization doesn’t just fund change—it highlights it. By making the work of Black-led groups visible to a broader audience, SparkNJ fosters understanding and unity across racial and cultural lines.
Empowering local changemakers
SparkNJ’s impact extends far beyond financial support. Their work strengthens the capacity of organizations that tackle everything from education and housing to community building and justice reform. As Ruth notes, “SparkNJ is making what these organizations do visible to all.” This visibility amplifies their influence and inspires broader support for their initiatives.
SparkNJ’s vision is bold yet simple: They envision a world where funding and support are equitably available to all nonprofits, sparking change so that all communities in NJ have the resources they need to thrive.
A positive ripple effect
When SparkNJ empowers Black-led organizations, the benefits reverberate throughout the entire community. By trusting local leaders and providing unrestricted funding, they enable these groups to innovate, expand, and deepen their impact. The result is a ripple effect of positive change that uplifts everyone in northern New Jersey.
As SparkNJ continues its work, it serves as a powerful reminder that equity, trust, and community collaboration can spark incredible transformation. Their efforts aren’t just about funding—they’re about fostering hope, visibility, and a brighter future for all.
To learn more about SparkNJ’s impact and how you can support them, visit their website here.
The post Changemakers of the week: GRuB and SparkNJ first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.
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