For Immediate Release
November 7, 2024
Libro Credit Union Empowering Community:
$10,000 Grant Supports Urban Roots
LONDON, ON — Libro Credit Union is thrilled to announce a $10,000 grant award as part of Concentra and EQ Bank’s Empowering Your Community grant program. This grant, added to $150,000 of financial support from Libro, will be used to support the incredible work of Urban Roots London, a non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing underused land for urban agriculture.
Since its inception in 2017, Urban Roots London has made a significant impact on the community by growing more than 70,000 lbs of food. Out of this impressive yield, over 20,000 lbs have been generously donated, while more than 30,000 have been distributed at affordable rates to local organizations providing frontline services. This remarkable achievement has helped strengthen food security for the vulnerable population in the region.
The Empowering Your Community grant program aims to facilitate community initiatives that improve mental health, support housing initiatives, honor indigenous resurgence, and enhance food security for those in need.
Urban Roots London aligns perfectly with these goals through its unique model of thirds. It ensures no more than 33% of production is sold at full price, 33% is sold at affordable rates, and no less than 33% is donated to community partners. Additionally, Urban Roots London intentionally partners with organizations led by equity-deserving groups, grows culturally relevant produce, and supports barriered growers and start-ups in the region.
Libro Credit Union has been a proud partner of Urban Roots London since 2020. In 2023, Libro renewed that commitment by pledging to contribute $60,000 from 2023 to 2025, bringing the total financial support to $150,000.
This ongoing partnership has enabled Urban Roots London to extend its growing season and expand its nursery with the installation of two new greenhouses. The funding has also supported staffing needs, allowing the organization to hire an additional full-year, full-time farm laborer and extend seasonal staff contracts into the fall, ensuring the abundant produce continues to be harvested and distributed in the community.
The $10,000 grant from Concentra and EQ Bank will further empower Urban Roots London in their mission to provide organic, fresh, and affordable produce to the people in our community. It will also help the organization expand revenue opportunities by extending their growing season and increasing seedling sales.
For more information about Urban Roots London and their initiatives, please visit their website at www.urbanrootslondon.ca.
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We warmly welcome interview opportunities. For more information, please contact:
Mike Donachie, Communications Manager, Libro Credit Union
226-926-4068, mike.donachie@libro.ca
Visit libro.ca/media
Photo description: Ben Wilcox, left, director of farm operations at Urban Roots, Jordan Moat, regional manager at Libro Credit Union, and Colin Lewis, director of strategic alliances at Equitable Bank, with a patch of arugula at Urban Roots in London on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.