JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – May 30, 2019 – The First Coast YMCA recently received donations of rain barrels for its community garden at the duPont Family YMCA’s New American Welcome Center. The barrels, donated by the Florida Beverage Association and PepsiCo, will help the community become more involved with sustainable growing practices.
“The Florida Beverage Association and its member companies are committed to environmental sustainability and improving the communities where we live, work and play,” said Liz Castro DeWitt, President of FBA, the trade association for Florida’s non-alcoholic beverage industry. “We are excited to partner with the YMCA on this project that promotes community culture and environmental sustainability.”
Neighborhood gardens like the one at the duPont Family YMCA help immigrants who are new to the area become more familiar with their community. While many immigrants may already know how to garden, many are unable to grow their own food because of a lack of available space in their new homes or apartments. The community garden at duPont is part of the Y’s “SEEDifferently” program, which uses gardens to grow fruits and vegetables throughout 14 different YMCA branches on the First Coast.
Rain barrels are a sustainable way to water plants in the community garden. The barrels will be set up by the building near the garden to catch the rain and will be maintained by duPont YMCA staff and members. The duPont YMCA is also planning to decorate the barrels as a community project.
“These rain barrels are an exciting addition to the garden at the duPont YMCA,” said Amber Dodge, senior program coordinator for the New American Welcome Center at the Y. “The duPont YMCA’s garden is new as of earlier this year, so we are just starting out and learning as we go!”
SEEDifferently is used to promote healthy food choices and to create access to fresh and healthy food in Jacksonville’s “food deserts.” This program also donates food that has been harvested from the gardens to families throughout the First Coast community.
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About the First Coast Y
For more than 110 years, the First Coast YMCA has been providing men, women and children of all ages, and from all walks of life, opportunities to build stronger bonds, live healthy and become more engaged with their communities. Learn more: www.fcymca.org.
About the Florida Beverage Association
The Florida Beverage Association is the state trade association of non-alcoholic beverage producers, marketers, bottlers, and distributors. Our companies make and sell some of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages, including regular and diet soft drinks, bottled water and water beverages, 100-percent juice and juice drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks and ready-to-drink teas.
About PepsiCo
For more than 50 years, as tastes, trends and lifestyles have changed, PepsiCo has evolved with them. Our willingness to adapt and grow has transformed our snack and soda company into a collection of global brands including Pepsi and Quaker, Gatorade and Tropicana, Frito-Lay and beyond. Today, PepsiCo is one of the world’s most-respected companies with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories and 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
