Green is an important word for Growing Hope.
The non-profit has raised enough greenbacks to buy a vacant home close to downtown Ypsilanti that is ripe for the 
restoring. It intends to remodel the 1930s Tudor-style home with a plethora of green options and use its propoerty as an urban garden base. The group's organizers hope to one day turn much of the 1.4-acre parcel into a model urban green space.
But doing all of that requires more money and time than most realize, making the transformation of 922 W Michigan Ave., four blocks west of downtown, a long-term process. The goal is to transform the location from a residential to commercial space and add in environmentally friendly features.
"It's amazing how quickly $5,000 or $10,000 adds onto your budget," says Amanda Maria Edmunds, executive director of Growing Hope.
For now the group is working to develop the land with a training and demonstration organic garden, greenhouses and food production.
The group is also working to raise enough money to stay one year ahead on the mortgage while seeking enough funds for the home's renovations. Most of the facilities need upgrading, beginning with the heating system. Edmunds is currently taking bids for a geothermal system.
"We hope to raise the money for it by the winter so we can turn the heat on," Edmunds says, adding that Growing Hope's fundraising efforts will be continuous as renovates the building piece by piece.
To learn more about helping Growing Hope plant roots in Ypsilanti, click here.
Source: Amanda Maria Edmunds, executive director of Growing Hope
Writer: Jon Zemke
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