Cottage Hill Garden receives TLC through Partnerships with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and The GIANT Company

(November 8, 2022) On October 18, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s local county affiliate, Keep York Beautiful, hosted 15 volunteers from The GIANT Company who helped prepare Cottage Hill Garden for winter. Old compost and decaying mulch was dug out and removed and new straw bales were brought in in preparation for planting. In the spring, easily accessible straw bale gardens will be planted with organic produce and flowers and maintained by community volunteers. Much of what is grown is donated to food banks and neighborhood groups.

Cottage Hill Garden and other community gardens are located at former trash-filled vacant lots throughout York City that are owned by the city of York and managed by The Redevelopment Authority of York. The gardens also serve as outdoor classrooms and provide a place for friends, neighbors and families to gather.

Multiple urban gardens, including Cottage Hill Garden, are a part of York Fresh Food Farms, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to cultivate community health through access, affordability, and agriculture. The organization serves to increase access to safe, healthy food choices and build a healthier community through the operation of sustainable, organic, community-based gardens and a demonstration farm.

The Cottage Hill Garden project is a continuation of projects initiated by The GIANT Company’s Reduced Emissions Program, developed in partnership with PDI Sustainability Solutions. Through the Reduced Emissions Program, for every gallon of fuel purchased at a GIANT or MARTIN’S fuel station, PDI invests in carbon reduction projects across the globe, offsetting up to 30% of the customer’s vehicle emissions.

“It was a great pleasure and honor to coordinate this event with Cottage Hill Garden and The GIANT Company. Two entities essential to the environmental health and welfare of York County through education and action,” Lee Graybill, Executive Director, Keep York Beautiful. “It turned out to be a great day and 15 volunteers did an amazing amount of work. The weather was perfect.”

“Thanks to The GIANT Company, Keep York Beautiful and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful for recognizing York Fresh Food Farms Community Gardens and Cottage Hill Garden, with providing access to improved nutritional organic produce, a healthy curiosity of natural spaces, regular exercise, mental well-being and educational development. This urban garden functions as an interactive neighborhood space for both solitary and group participants, especially valued in these times of Covid isolation. We need each other to get seasonal projects accomplished that improve our communities, and all help received was greatly appreciated. We welcome, encourage and support partnerships that help us achieve vital conditions necessary for environmentally improved spaces for all participants,” said Annalisa Gojmerac, Manager, York Fresh Food Farms Community Gardens.

“The actions we take today to heal and preserve our planet are critical to reaching a healthier and more sustainable tomorrow,” said Jessica Groves, community impact manager, The GIANT Company. “The GIANT Company and our team members are proud to support Cottage Hill Garden through volunteerism and our Healing the Planet initiative. In partnership with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, we are connecting families to a better future by supporting organizations and initiatives that increase food access and sustainability in the communities we serve.”

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, and local county-based affiliates, has more than 30 years of experience in organizing volunteer-driven community improvement events.

“Local improvement projects demonstrate true community spirit and we are honored to partner with The GIANT Company and our local affiliate, Keep York Beautiful, on the recent efforts at Cottage Hill Garden through GIANT’S Reduced Emissions Program,” explains Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

Visit The GIANT Company’s website to learn more about the company’s sustainability programs. Visit www.keeppabeautiful.org for more information on programs or to find an event near you.

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About Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s mission is empowering Pennsylvanians to keep our communities clean and beautiful. Since 1990, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and its volunteers have removed over 152 million pounds of litter from Pennsylvania’s roadways, greenways, parks, forests, and waterways. To learn more about Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, visit www.keeppabeautiful.org.

About The GIANT Company
The GIANT Company believes that no matter where or how, when meals happen, families connect, and when families connect meaningfully, good happens. Guided by its brand platform, For Today’s Table®, the omni-channel retailer proudly serves millions of neighbors across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and New Jersey. With more than 35,000 talented team members supporting more than 190 stores, 133 pharmacies, 107 fuel stations, and over 175 online pickup hubs and grocery delivery service in hundreds of zip codes, The GIANT Company is changing the customer experience and connecting families for a better future. Founded in 1923 in Carlisle, Pa., The GIANT Company family of brands includes GIANT, MARTIN’S, GIANT Heirloom Market, GIANT Direct and MARTIN’S Direct. The GIANT Company is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA. For more information, visit the GIANT or MARTIN’S websites.

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