Ingham County Community Garden & Inclusion Project

2012 ION Garden Improvement Application (pdf)

In 2011, The Greater Lansing Food Bank’s Garden Project received an Including Our Neighbors (ION) grant from the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition/Michigan Developmental Disability Council to create 12 accessible community garden beds. This project is inspired by the Power of We AmeriCorps/Allen Neighborhood Center “really raised beds” at Hunter Park. It brings together new partners to facilitate inclusion of people with disabilities in community activities and organizations. Ingham County Health Department, Power of We and other organizations provided support for the ION grant application and are assisting with project coordination.

Advisory committee organizations for the project, in addition to those mentioned above, include: Capital Area Centers for Independent Living, Community Mental Health, South Lansing Community Development Association, Michigan Community Service Commission, Origami Brain Injury Rehab Center, NorthWest Initiative and Ingham County Land Bank, and volunteers such as Jared Talaga, who helped coordinate the “really raised beds” at Hunter Park, and Ramona Spencer, a community garden organizer with children with disabilities.

In early-2012 we will accept proposals for mini-grants to make more inclusive community gardens. In June-September 2012, we will host conversations about inclusion/integration in community organizations and activities.

If you have any questions please contact Anne Rauscher of the Greater Lansing Food Bank's The Garden Project at 517-853-7809 or you can email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Thank you for getting involved!