Gardening & Food: Grow, Prepare, Share

Gardening & Food: Grow, Prepare, Share

Help non-speaking autistic adults grow food, take part in everyday food preparation, and share what they have made with others.

CommuniKeys combines gardening with practical food experiences, creating opportunities to make choices, learn through purposeful activity, and contribute to a shared table. Our summer program brings together our partnership with Loveland Youth Gardeners and small-scale gardening at the CommuniKeys Hub.

From the garden to the table

At Loveland Youth Gardeners, participants use an established garden space alongside experienced community partners. Gardening at the Hub provides additional opportunities to return to familiar tasks and care for what is growing.

Activities may include:

• Planting, watering, weeding, and caring for garden beds.
• Using tools and materials, checking garden changes, and harvesting produce.
• Washing, sorting, and preparing ingredients through supported food activities.
• Sharing food and contributing to a meal or gathering.

Adults can participate in different ways, from tending plants and preparing ingredients to choosing what to grow, communicating observations, organizing materials, or helping share the harvest.

The support behind participation

Caregivers participate alongside the adults they support. Small groups, communication access, sensory preparation, familiar routines, and repeated experiences help each person engage according to their interests and support needs. We presume competence and value each person’s choices and contributions.

Our $5,000 summer goal

We estimate approximately $5,000 to sustain this summer program across our partner’s garden and the Hub. Your gift helps support the season’s gardening materials, preparation, coordination, and participation supports.

This campaign supports Gardening & Food within CommuniKeys’ $250,000 annual fundraising effort, which sustains programming and the skilled support behind participation.

Help create more opportunities to grow, prepare, share, and belong.