Last month, our SoCal project accountants and project coordinators (PAs and PCs) used their annual volunteer hours to support GrowGood, an LA-based nonprofit that provides food, transitional employment, job training, and mindfulness-based ecotherapy to those experiencing homelessness and housing instability.
Located next to the Salvation Army’s Bell Shelter in Southeast LA, GrowGood operates a 1.5-acre urban regenerative farm featuring vegetable crops, orchard fruit trees, an herb and healing garden, a commercial greenhouse, and community gathering spaces for those in need.
“This was a great opportunity to step outside our regular work routine and give back while representing Webcor’s core values,” says Field Administration Manager Judy Gomez Movsessian. “I also appreciated the chance to strengthen bonds with my fellow SoCal PAs/PCs through community service.”
During their shift, participating SoCal PA/PCs joined GrowGood’s staff and community members in pulling weeds and feeding chickens.
“Getting our hands in the soil was extremely fulfilling,” says Sr. Project Coordinator Julia Gray, who organized the event. “It was wonderful to play a role in nurturing the growth and development of the farm’s fruit trees. My personal highlight was the tour of the greenhouse, where we marveled at the advanced engineering.”
Volunteers learned about the gardening process directly from GrowGood’s rehabilitated staff members, who then shared personal stories about the nonprofit’s transformative impact on their lives.
“Gaining hands-on knowledge from individuals who are not only rebuilding their lives but contributing meaningfully to their community was inspiring,” Judy says. “Their stories added a deeper level of connection and purpose to the experience.”
