Help our rooftop farm grow with a matched donation
Once completed, the new Rooftop Farm atop the Main Line Health King of Prussia health center will be an oasis of healing, an educational resource, and a unique way to fight food insecurity in our community, but it can't start growing until we finish raising much needed funds.
Luckily, two philanthropists stepped in with a challenge, offering to match up to $450,000 in gifts! This unique opportunity means donors can dig in and help build a wonderful new resource at Main Line Health – one that nourishes body and soul.
The matching gift challenge was graciously offered by Tom and Christine Nerney, two long-time supporters of Main Line Health. This project is especially important to them because they understand that "food is medicine" and that nature can be a wonderful educator, two concepts Main Line Health has been championing for decades. Across the system, we've implemented a wide variety of nutrition education and wellness initiatives as well as programs to help those with food insecurity.
Take our Deaver Wellness Farm at Lankenau Medical Center, for example. Now in its eighth year, this all-organic Farm grows more than 40 varieties of fruits and vegetables along with medicinal herbs and a sensory garden. Each year, the Deaver farm hosts thousands of schoolchildren to make the connection between where their food comes from, how it grows, and how fresh food positively impacts their health. During the growing season, the Deaver farm provides bi-weekly bags of organic produce to food-insecure families in the area.
Borrowing on what we've learned at Deaver, the new Rooftop Farm at Main Line Health King of Prussia will play an important role in the health and wellness of the local community – at a time when it is very much needed. According to recent reports from Feed America PA and the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network, food insecurity in Montgomery County has surged by 27% in recent years, and local food pantries reported a 60% increase in visits in 2023, making hunger a critical health issue for many of our patients.
Main Line Health's committed friends can help make this innovative resource possible. Any size gift to the Rooftop Farm will be matched – and your donation will give back every day and every harvest season. There are also opportunities to name a raised bed or picnic table after you or your family.
Thank you so much for your consideration. Together, we can turn this rooftop into something remarkable – and help our friends and neighbors enjoy the healing power of nature.
For more information about the Rooftop Farm or to learn about naming opportunities, please contact Karrie Borgelt at 484.580.4145 or at [email protected].
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