Community Benefit partner Valley Verde increases access to healthy, nutritious food by teaching people how to grow organic produce for their families and communities. Learn about their efforts to promote nutrition at gardening and cooking workshops for low-income families and schools in San Jose.
National Nutrition Month was all about helping communities discover the power of nutrition. Community Benefit partner Valley Verde aligns with these efforts every day by helping families gain access to fresh produce and build healthy eating habits.
Valley Verde supports the health of San Jose residents by empowering them with knowledge and skills to grow healthy, organic produce for themselves and their communities. Since 2012, Valley Verde has helped over 900 low-income families learn to grow food at home and share that knowledge with others.
With support from the Community Benefit program, Valley Verde leads the San Jose Gardens for Health program at their agency site, client homes and schools, providing:
- Monthly workshops about nutrition, healthy cooking and organic gardening techniques
- Weekly lessons for school students about nutrition, organic gardening and food
- Home garden builds
- Mentorship visits to client homes for advice, troubleshooting and encouragement
- Garden supplies and seedings
Health professionals and organizations, including the American Diabetes Association, often associate healthy eating with managing and preventing conditions like diabetes and obesity. These conditions were identified as top health needs in the fiscal year 2026 Implementation Strategy Report and Community Benefit Plan.
See the complete list of fiscal year 2026 grant partners.
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