World Relief Paradise Plots

Need & Opportunity

Many of World Relief’s beneficiaries are refugees that have rural backgrounds. But apartment living in an urban setting offers little chance to grow food. Located just minutes from World Relief’s headquarters, Hillside Church donated a 1-acre under-used parking lot to be reclaimed as a garden space. The Paradise Plots garden space allows World Relief clients to grow culturally appropriate foods that improve food access and fosters economic independence.

Solution & Value Add

CfC coordinated the design, material procurement, equipment, and labor. Over 30,000 SF of asphalt was removed, 50 raised garden beds were constructed, and four rainwater cisterns were built to store 16,000 gallons for irrigation. Additionally, over 800,000 gallons of stormwater are diverted annually with asphalt removal.

The design of the second phase of this project — a teaching kitchen — broke ground in 2022. The teaching kitchen will increase food access during non-producing months and facilitate small business income generation. Once up and running, the kitchen will:

• Expand the economic impact of the community garden by increasing access for the refugee, immigrant, and urban communities to food production space;
• Provide educational food-related training for families and youth;
• Provide neutral community space for majority-culture community members to interface with immigrant community members over food;
• Provide low-cost commercial kitchen space for immigrant caterers to rent; and,
• Serve as a space to develop micro businesses.