The Deep Hidden Meaning Organization

The Deep Hidden Meaning Organization is a Community Development Corporation location in North Fairmount whose mission is to foster safe neighborly behavior through agriculture, performing arts, education, and Emotional Intelligence. The first project I am working on is called a Clean and Safe coalition which involves harvesting invasive plant species such as tree of heaven and bush honey suckle and turning them into cash crops which include beverage coasters, wooden toys, and jewelry amongst other wooden products. My Clean and Safe coalition also involves urban agriculture (building gardens) while working with Keep Cincinnati Beautiful to enforce no littering in the communities we serve. I chose to start with agriculture because agriculture has low start up costs while having a remarkable impact.

I am an undergrad student at UC studying Human Development and Community Engagement. I am in communications with Brian Grubb in the horticulture department to help me recruit volenteers to help me build and maintain a U-Pick community garden in North Fairmount. Professor Kelle also helped me tailor my school schedule to help me operate my 501(c)3 more efficiently where I learn things that directly aligns with what I am doing outside of school. My personal project with my 501(c)3 is in partnership with the North Fairmount Community Center and the purpose of the garden is to create an economy using our natural resources while teaching community members sustainability by growing their own food. Community members are encouraged to volunteer to take care of the "U-Pick" garden which allows them to take home free produce, and eggs each time they volunteer. I had the opportunity to use my arborist skills and chop down trees in another garden in North Fairmount which is called the Prosperity Garden behind the New York Grocery store. The Prosperity Garden is in partnership with Working In Neighborhoods (WIN), DHM (my community development Corporation), and the owner of the New York Grocery store. The purpose of the Prosperity Garden is to teach community members how to grow their own medicine and food while creating a therapeutic environment for folks to have hard conversations. My hard work this year has allowed me to engage the older genreation as well as the hispanic community in North Fairmount because both communities have vast knowledge of urban agriculture. I've also been able to teach the younger generation about environmental sustainability and why its important to take care of the land you live on especially since your food comes from here. Once the U-Pick garden at the North Fairmount Community Center is complete (seeds sown, chickens are hatching and ready to harvest), DHM will launch our grocery delivery service to help make food accessible to the communities we serve. Our grocery delivery service is in partnership with the North Fairmount Community Center, and St. Leo's Church.