BWB is proud to announce this year’s grant recipients. For the past six years, BWB has awarded grants of $100-$1,000 for innovative civic initiatives that grow community while making a lasting impact. Check out this year’s grant recipients and get ready to  be inspired!

Miraclefeet: Davao, Philippines

Miraclefeet changes children’s lives by improving access to safe, high-quality clubfoot treatment in developing countries. Clubfoot is a leading cause of permanent disability in developing countries and affects one out of every 750 children worldwide, causing one or both feet to point inward and upward and making it difficult and painful to walk. At a cost of about $250 per child, clubfoot can be fully treated and cured. There are over 2,700 children born with clubfoot annually in the Philippines. The goal is to be able to eradicate untreated clubfoot there by treating all new cases by 2020. With BWB’s matching grant of $1K, eight children will receive treatment through this program. The ultimate goal is is for miraclefeet-sponsored clinics such as the one in Davao to be a catalyst that inspires and motivates  countries to take responsibility for its own clubfoot management.

Clubfoot before treatment.

Bee Leavin Roots: Cascade Mountains, Washington

BLR is a grass roots (and flower fed) educational movement based upon providing bees and other pollinators a pesticide and GMO-free habitat in the foothills of the Cascade mountains. This is accomplished through community education, providing healthy habitats, as well as gifting pollinator friendly plant starts to the local community to broaden the forage area. BWB’s grant will  help purchase, an observational hive, one nuc of honeybees and heirloom and organic seeds.

Our Garden, Our Food: Tacloban Community Gardens: Tacloban, Philippines

International Disaster Volunteers has been on the ground in Tacloban since November 2013, following the devastating typhoon that decimated much of the region. Working with their partners, Bayanihan Tayo, they are helping survivors grow their own vegetables through communal gardens, planting workshops and urban planting starter kits. The programme will be Filipino led with our international volunteers providing support, funding, guidance and manpower. With community leaders in charge, the gardens will encourage community cohesion while providing access to low cost nutrition in the form of vegetables. BWB’s grant will support the purchase of planting starter kits for their workshops.

Fermentation on Wheels: Across the United States

Fermentation on Wheels (FOW) is a community effort to provide free food education and inspiration to  people through literature & visual arts projects that raise food awareness and teach fermentation. The community organizes potlucks and teaches fermentation in a school bus that has been converted into a creative kitchen and workshop space. FOW’s workshops are free and open to the public, with the intention of reaching as many individuals as possible.  By traveling the country, visiting farmers, and connecting with people through arts, FOW makes powerful statements about food-to-consumer cultures and encourages the importance of strong, sustainable food practices and values. The community currently prioritizes a educational opportunities for K-12 students in under served populations. BWB’s grant will provide the funds to produce “Get Cultured! Kids”workshops and cover the creation and printing of food awareness and fermentation literature, including the publication of the Fermentation on Wheels zine

The Gypsy Garden: Arts District, Las Vegas, NV

This project will educate children  about the many benefits of gardening using medicinal herbs and edible flowers. BWB’s grant will be used to support the construction of  free-standing, raised garden beds using primarily reclaimed materials donated by the the community. They will be individually painted and decorated by local volunteer artisans, while providing the broadest opportunity for all to interact with gardening.

Graffic Traffic: Chicago, IL

Consensus (consensuschicago.com) is a new nonprofit community arts center on the southwest side of Chicago where they aim to build peace by fostering collaboration among artists and service projects in Chicago. BWBs grant will help fund the art materials for a new program, Graffic Traffic, thatuses community dialogue, mural painting, and multimedia documentation to teach at-risk youth about the relationship between street art and local neighborhood realities.

> How to create a Project.