Our goal at "Cantu's Community Garden" is to build a therapeutic garden for youth who have been affected by the criminal justice system. Our plan is to create an opportunity for youth to learn about harvesting, irrigation, propagation, and delivering produce. Thus far, we have cultivated land, started a community water well, and have obtained a hemp growers license.
The therapeutic garden operates on the principle that active connections with plants and nature are restorative, provide therapeutic benefits, and enhance quality of life. The program goals are to decrease psychological stress, anxiety, depressive symptomatology, and mental fatigue, while augmenting positive affect, self-esteem, self-efficacy, creativity, a feeling of optimism, social interactions, and lower the recidivism rate.
Our long term plan is to offer a therapeutic outlet to CPS and Juvenile Justice involved children across Harris County and provide entrepreneurship skills to youth exiting the juvenile justice system. Our long term vision is to organize “farmers market on the block” themed events, distributing produce within disenfranchised communities. While doing so, our idea is to create an opportunity for youth to learn business skills - selling organic pressed juice, hemp products, herbs and cut flowers, produce, and other opportunities that would deem beneficial to the health and wellness of those who usually don't have access to these products.
We provide service, counseling, mentorship, and community service hours for youth referred from juvenile probation and texas juvenile justice halfway home contract facilities, and children who have been impacted by the child welfare system. Our volunteers consist of youth and young adults who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system, local volunteers, and collegiate fraternity members.
The therapeutic garden operates on the principle that active connections with plants and nature are restorative, provide therapeutic benefits, and enhance quality of life. The program goals are to decrease psychological stress, anxiety, depressive symptomatology, and mental fatigue, while augmenting positive affect, self-esteem, self-efficacy, creativity, a feeling of optimism, social interactions, and lower the recidivism rate.
Our long term plan is to offer a therapeutic outlet to CPS and Juvenile Justice involved children across Harris County and provide entrepreneurship skills to youth exiting the juvenile justice system. Our long term vision is to organize “farmers market on the block” themed events, distributing produce within disenfranchised communities. While doing so, our idea is to create an opportunity for youth to learn business skills - selling organic pressed juice, hemp products, herbs and cut flowers, produce, and other opportunities that would deem beneficial to the health and wellness of those who usually don't have access to these products.
We provide service, counseling, mentorship, and community service hours for youth referred from juvenile probation and texas juvenile justice halfway home contract facilities, and children who have been impacted by the child welfare system. Our volunteers consist of youth and young adults who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system, local volunteers, and collegiate fraternity members.