Thrive IRL: Volunteering With the Garden School Foundation

One sunny morning in May, the Thrive Market team took a break from our typical Saturday morning activities (read: cycling class!), and headed out to our first official volunteer day.

When Thrive Market co-founder Kate Mulling let us know that the Garden School Foundation was hosting a work day at the 24th Street Elementary School, we knew right away that we wanted to pitch in. Kate’s a board member of the LA-based program, which teaches kids in underserved schools throughout the Los Angeles United School District all about gardening and cooking. The students actually get their hands dirty in organic gardens—the whole goal of the program is to let GSF students learn by doing! They get hands-on lessons in everything from how a thriving vegetable patch relates to their biology lessons to blending a nutritious smoothie using a pedal-powered bike blender (who doesn’t like a little recess fitness fix?).

Donning our Thrive Market T-shirts and mineral SPF, we picked up spades and shovels. Soon enough, green thumbs and novice gardeners alike were pulling weeds, transplanting sprouts, and cleaning up the greenhouse.

After a few hours in the garden, it’s safe to say we all worked up a sweat and an appetite for more volunteering—and for some of the tastiest tamales we’ve ever eaten, made by GSF mom, Amabilia. We can’t wait to do more with this incredible organization. Watch this space for more updates about organizations, charities, and causes that are doing their part to help make healthy eating, edible education, and nutritious food accessible to all!

Photo credit: Paul Delmont