Nonprofits Create Community is NIA’s theme for 2026, as we celebrate the ways that nonprofits come through for their communities in spite of all the challenges facing them. In this series, meet some NIA-insured nonprofits who share their stories of creating community in their own words.
Meet Urban Tilth of Richmond, CA
Ashley Johnson, Human Resources Manager of Urban Tilth explains:
“Urban Tilth inspires, hires, and trains local residents to cultivate agriculture, feed our community, and restore relationships to land to build a more sustainable food system, within a just and healthier community.”
How does your nonprofit and your mission create community for the people and places you serve?
Providing Free, Fresh Produce and Programs in a Food Desert
“Our nonprofit serves our immediate community by providing free, fresh produce and programming weekly. Our mission is to make sure the community has access to fresh fruits and veggies.
This is important, as Richmond, CA is a food desert — we have more fast-food restaurants than grocery stores.”
What are your nonprofit’s biggest challenges or obstacles to creating community?
Getting the Word Out that Services are Available to the Community
“Our biggest challenge is making sure that all of Richmond knows that we are out there. We host events and use social media to further our reach, but this is an issue we share with many nonprofits in the area.”
