Partnership with Grassroots Grocery

As a clinical psychologist and parenting coach, there is one question I get more than any other: how do I raise a good kid? How do I raise a kid who does the right thing in tough situations, who thinks about others, who recognizes the importance of giving back in some way?

The answer is not an easy one; if it were, I – not to mention teachers, community leaders, and religious figures everywhere – would be out of a job. There is, however, a five-word response that offers a pretty good place to start: Come to a Produce Party!  Yes, you read that correctly. I honestly believe that participating in the Produce Parties run every Saturday by Grassroots Grocery – even if you only go once in a while – is a fantastic way to grow (see what I did there?) a good kid.

Why This Partnership?

Research has consistently pointed to the connection between participation in volunteer activities and a range of positive social-emotional outcomes in children. For example, when kids engage in acts of service within their larger communities, they step outside of their “bubbles” to learn about others’ perspectives and life experiences, an exercise that fosters empathy. When they actively contribute to helping others, they come to recognize their own agency, and, over time, may develop a deep sense of personal responsibility to continue to do so.

For understandable reasons, many service organizations limit their volunteer opportunities to adults, or maybe adolescents. As a mom of young kids, I found this to be so frustrating — sure, picking up trash from our local parks was super important, but my kids lost interest pretty quickly despite my best efforts.

Enter Grassroots Grocery, a New York City based organization whose mission is “to advance food justice by cultivating a community of neighbors helping neighbors.” And it turns out that neighbors can be any age!

Wait, What is a Produce Party?

On Saturday mornings, a group of volunteers comes together in the Bronx to unpack and sort a literal truckload of surplus produce from Hunt’s Point Market, pack it up and load it into cars, and drive it to community drop-off sites for people in need. Music is playing, folks are warm and friendly, and. . . you’ll just have to come to experience the vibe yourself!

So while there’s no script (don’t get me started on scripts) or guarantee when it comes to parenting, a whole lot of science would suggest that going to a Produce Party just might produce a great kid. . . . And – forgive me this soap box – if we’re going to fix this beautiful, broken world, it’s going to be by raising one great kid at a time.

Join me for a Produce Party on November 23rd!