Celebrating the 2024 PACE Grant recipients
Planet Aid is dedicated to collecting and reselling used clothing, shoes, and other textiles to help people and the planet. Collecting clothing from our yellow bins and donation centers diverts upwards of 70 million pounds of textile waste from landfills annually. And Planet Aid extends the circular benefit of reuse by supporting global development projects like farmers clubs. teacher training, and TB and HIV prevention. For the third consecutive year, Planet Aid has designated a cohort of nonprofit organizations as awardees of its Planet Aid Capacity and Environmental (PACE) grants. The $25,000 grants are specifically for small U.S.-based nonprofit organizations
Why partner with local non profit organizations?
Partnering with local nonprofit organizations gives Planet Aid the opportunity to encourage and support invaluable sustainable development projects stateside. Moreover, the PACE grant underscores Planet Aid's commitment to fostering education, environmental protection, health and wellness, and sustainable agriculture. It also provides a catalyst for change closer to home.
This year's grant recipients—Community Ecology Institute (CEI), Vehicles for Change (VFC), and Laurel Advocacy & Referral Services (LARS)—are enjoying a third round of funding for new and existing environmental and community-building projects. Each organization brings a dynamic dimension to their projects, which increases their outreach by leaps and bound.
Community Ecology Institute (CEI)
Based in Columbia, Maryland, CEI is an ecological sanctuary with a sprawling campus of gardens at Freetown Farms. The organization is open to the surrounding community, and provides fresh produce, DIY classes, and environmental education.
Their third PACE Grant will further expand CEI's Communities of Families In Nature (CFIN) program. Instituted in 2014, the program helps families to connect with nature and the community with a variety of programs and activities. The funds will support the program’s event planning, staff time, lead work, and communication, among other things.
Vehicles for Change (VFC)
Vehicles for Change, also in Maryland, is lauded for its Full Circle Auto Repair & Training Center, which combines student certification, internships, and job placement to reduce recidivism rates among formerly incarcerated citizens. Since the program was instituted hundreds of lives have been turned around by providing the technical tools and certifications to attain a better life.
Building on their success from previous PACE grants, VFC will use this year's grant to expand its Virtual Reality (VR) Automotive Training Program to Baltimore City high schools. The capacity-building efforts would help at-risk and under-resourced students to become proficient in a distinctive, employable, automotive skill.
Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services (LARS)
LARS is a hub and a safe haven for those in need in Laurel, Maryland. From its food pantry to housing assistance and other emergency services, the organization always advocates for the welfare of their clients.
In previous years, LARS used the PACE Grant funds to enhance food distribution efforts, partnering with fellow awardee, CEI, to expand fresh food options for the food pantry recipients. Earlier this year, LARS celebrated receiving over a thousand pounds of produce from CEI.
LARS also implemented Project Grow, an industrious sustainable solution to help low-income households save money with a renewable source of food. The program worked with low-income households to provide them with patio and balcony gardens. Classes were offered as well as planters and seeds.
This next round of PACE grant funding adds to their efforts by enabling LARS to build upon the foundation of Project Grow. The organization is working with Laurel residents in a low-income Senior home to participate in the Grow Your Own Food Security and Mental Health Program.
On Planet Aid's podcast, Sustainable Solutions with Planet Aid, LARS Executive Director Shannon Mouton talks about the palpable benefits of the of the program for the senior center residents, saying: " When you're in a situation like that you can eat their food, if you want it, or you have to buy groceries and cook it. " She adds, "If you're growing tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce, that's a salad. That is your meal."
Community Impact
Planet Aid's PACE Grant program is making a tangible difference with locally-led initiatives that address local challenges. PACE Grant recipients exemplify how innovative, community-driven efforts can have far-reaching impacts and inspire partnership to further the good works.