Power Living Missions Inc

When I grew up in Independence Heights, it was a bustling community with retail stores and businesses.  It was a safehaven where the word neighbor meant more than the people that lived next door.  The true essence of community was embraced.  We were a self-reliant people and community proud.  We lived up to our name drawn from our rich heritage as the first African American municipality in Texas.  Fresh fruit and vegetables were delivered by street car vendors.  The noise of children playing in the street was a typical sound.  Now, the mom and pop stores have vanished along with many businesses and services.  We have been assaulted by the times and are under urban attack.  The entrance of drugs, crime, and blight has changed our community landscape.

Power Living Missions believes that implementation of a community garden in this area embodies the commitment of our mission.  Furthermore, research has shown that community gardens employ multiple benefits.  Some benefits include beautification, crime reduction, physical fitness, and more.  Accordingly, we have started the process of installing this all important food oasis.  Independence Heights has been categorized as a classified food desert.  Over 50% of residents are unemployed and many live two times below the poverty level.  Of those living below the poverty level almost one quarter were children according to the last assessment performed by the City of Houston's Health Department. 

Here to now our garden project has come a long way with the support of the City of Houston, the United Way, PODS of Houston and Lowes Building Supply.  However, to complete our community garden project,  we are in need of 100 yards of organic garden soil.  Your tax deductible gift of just $25 will povide 1 yard of soil that can build 3-4 gardens rows that will feed a family.

In addition to growing chemical free vegetables, our program includes nutrition classes for adults and children to reduce obesity and fight against the chronic illnesses that plague this community.  The assessment performed by the health department found that more people die in this community of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke than that of Houston as a whole.  Furthermore, we plan to include healthy cooking demonstrations that will be taught in collaboration with our partnership with LaNotre Culinary Arts school to re-enforce the nutrition classes.

We need your immediate response now in order to plant to receive a spring harvest.  To find out more about Power Living Missions, Inc. and Beauty's Community Garden visit our website at www.powerlivingmissions.org or contact us at powerlivingmissions@gmail.com.

Thank you for your kind consideration.