City Sprouts is a local nonprofit community garden and education center that works with the Omaha community to promote health, sustainability, and growth.
The garden space has been around since 1995. Their website says, “We work with the community to build local food systems, improve community health, empower neighborhoods, and strengthen economic viability and sustainability.”
Maggie Brosnahan, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, is a student team leader and on the local community engagement team.
She leads City Sprouts once a week, joining the volunteers in the work they do to help at City Sprouts.
Last week, the volunteers did a variety of jobs like breaking down branches, making City Sprouts buttons, and placing bedding in compost bins.
“A couple weeks ago we washed pots for the new planting season,” Brosnahan said.
Shannon Kyler is the program manager for the North campus, City Sprout’s main campus. She is responsible for chickens, bees, volunteers, and educational aspects on the campus.
The City Sprouts organization has experienced an increase in growth in the past few years.
“When I started here, there were three part time staff and one full time executive director. Now there’s eight full time staff,” Kyler said.
Along with a garden space and education center, City Sprouts also has a “freedge” and local pantry that has food for anyone to take.
Josh Fernandes is a junior in the Arts and Sciences and a team leader who is a volunteer coordinator at City Sprouts every Friday.
He’s been coming to the north location for a year and has done a variety of tasks such as planting, harvesting, making firewood, and doing greenhouse work.
Fernandes has been part of the SCSJ since his freshman year.
“I believe in their mission of helping others through service and reflecting on it,” Fernandes said.
Anyone can volunteer at City Sprouts. “It’s cool to see everyone work on projects here to better the community,” said Hannah Schaul, a volunteer and freshman in the Heider College of Business.