As they say, be the change you want to see—a message NYC local Tony Hillery took to heart! When the financial crisis hit a decade ago—though he himself was a bit down on his luck—the former limousine rental company owner discovered that more than 62,000 NYC children were homeless, a stat that broke his heart. That's when he started visiting elementary schools and turning vacant lots into urban gardens, which is how Harlem Grown was born.
"Harlem Grown a youth development organization [that's] mission is to inspire youth to lead happy, healthy, ambitious lives through mentorship, hands-on education and urban farming," Tony explains.
But, he notes, as gorgeous as the farms are, "Our biggest crop are our people. Don't let the fruits and vegetables fool you—that's what we plant. We grow healthy children in sustainable communities."
Yes, we and Rach teared up at that one! No surprise, then, that we wanted to do something special for Tony. Watch for his wholesome reaction to our special surprise from Wonderful Pistachios!
