Designing & managing cause-driven service opportunities
Our Mission
R.E.G.R.O.W. (Restoring Edible Gardens, Reclaiming Our Wellness) is a youth-led initiative revitalizing neglected school garden beds at public schools across Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In partnership with SPARK, R.E.G.R.O.W. addresses food insecurity and health inequities in communities most affected by limited access to affordable nutritious food.
Winston-Salem ranks 7th nationally in food hardship, a reflection of long-standing structural inequities rather than individual choice. Many of the city’s most severe food deserts are concentrated in historically redlined neighborhoods east of Highway 52, where decades of discriminatory housing policies, disinvestment, and segregation have limited access to grocery stores, healthcare, and economic opportunity. As a result, families in these communities often rely on convenience stores and fast-food outlets that offer few affordable, nutritious options, contributing to higher rates of diet-related conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
Beyond limited food access, these neighborhoods also face systemic barriers to nutrition education and hands-on exposure to healthy food systems, particularly for youth. Schools and community spaces that could serve as hubs for wellness and learning are often underfunded or left unused, reinforcing cycles of food insecurity and poor health outcomes across generations.
R.E.G.R.O.W. directly confronts these inequities by reclaiming underutilized school and community spaces and transforming them into sustainable, productive gardens. These gardens increase immediate access to fresh, affordable, and culturally relevant produce while also serving as living classrooms where students and community members learn about nutrition, environmental stewardship, and food sovereignty. By embedding food production within the neighborhoods most impacted by food hardship, R.E.G.R.O.W. shifts food access from a distant resource to a local, community-owned solution strengthening both physical health and collective resilience.
How did R.E.G.R.O.W. begin? Who are the founders?
The idea of R.E.G.R.O.W. began with a school assignment, a love for gardening, and a big “what if?” In high school in Winston-Salem, one of R.E.G.R.O.W.'s team members, Harshita was learning about food deserts in her AP Human Geography class. She started wondering how empty garden beds could become sources of fresh food, learning, and community care. And here we are!
Ladiana Shyti, Ashley Nowak, Zuri Sweatt and Harshita Dasari
Learn with R.E.G.R.O.W.
What are food desserts?
Food deserts are areas where residents have limited access to affordable, fresh, and nutritious food, especially fruits and vegetables. These neighborhoods often lack full-service grocery stores and instead rely on convenience stores or fast-food options. Food deserts are not accidental — they are closely linked to historical redlining, economic disinvestment, and systemic inequality.
Impact of food deserts
Food deserts affect far more than what’s on a dinner plate. Limited access to fresh, affordable food shapes health outcomes, educational success, economic stability, and community well-being. Over time, these impacts compound and reinforce cycles of inequality.
Health Impacts
When fresh produce and nutritious foods are hard to access, families are often forced to rely on highly processed, low-nutrient options. This increases the risk of:
- Diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension
- Childhood obesity and early-onset chronic illness
- Weakened immune systems
- Higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression
Health inequities tied to food deserts place long-term strain on individuals, families, and healthcare systems.
Educational Impacts
For children, food insecurity directly affects learning and development. When students are hungry or undernourished, their ability to fully engage in the classroom is compromised, widening achievement gaps that can persist into adulthood.
Why Addressing Food Deserts Matters
Food deserts are not the result of individual choices — they are the outcome of systemic disinvestment and historical inequities. Addressing them requires community-led, sustainable solutions that restore access, education, and empowerment.
By transforming unused spaces into productive gardens and engaging students, schools, and local partners, R.E.G.R.O.W. works to grow food, restore agency, and cultivate peace from the ground up.
Keeping Winston-Salem Warm
got gently used garden tools?
where can I drop off supplies to donate?
where can I drop off supplies to donate?
large and small shovels, rakes, buckets, etc
any and all are appreciated
where can I drop off supplies to donate?
where can I drop off supplies to donate?
where can I drop off supplies to donate?
This bin is located outside of Sherwood Forest UMC (5250 Silas Creek Pkwy Winston-Salem, NC) at all times. The bin is located at the circle drive entrance and is checked daily. It's helpful to bag items as we attempt to stay organized.
how to share our mission?
how to share our mission?
how to share our mission?
Invite friends, family and neighbors to connect with us to get a date on the calendar to work in the gardens around Forsyth County!
We especially want to work with young people to get their hands in the garden!
Follow us on insta: @r.e.g.r.o.w.
partner with us!
how to share our mission?
how to share our mission?
Designed to be a partner with schools and neighborhoods with existing garden beds. Partnership can happen in many ways.
Do you need the R.E.G.R.O.W. team with its volunteers to help in your garden?
You can also donate supplies and funds to help as we work to make a difference in food insecurity in Forsyth County, NC.
Follow us on instagram: @r.e.g.r.o.w.
Donate to R.E.G.R.O.W.
Support our work as we address food desserts and engage student volunteers. Your gift allows us to grow and distribute fresh produce to those who need it most. Your gift also supports the soil, plants, and supplies needed to make this possible.
SPARK Valentines
You only need to download once to spread, copy, and share as much as you want! Great for sharing in classrooms, teams, neighborhoods, families, etc. Plenty of space to attach something fun on the front or back of your valentine!