The Unity Gardens is a local non-profit dedicated to connecting our community to fresh produce, nature and each other, through 35 open gardens, free classes, and other programs. In this talk, Unity Gardens Executive Director Sara Stewart will talk about the many benefits of the Unity Garden model – benefits that extend far beyond provided no-cost fresh veggies to local consumers.
Speaker: Sara Stewart, RN MSN, Founder, President, Executive Director Unity Gardens Inc.
Unity Gardens Executive Director Sara Stewart works with the garden manager to connect Unity Garden leaders and collaborators. She has over sixteen years of experience in business administration in a community health setting, specializing in third party health care reimbursement and Medicaid. Her recent role as a nursing instructor specializing in community health, in conjunction with her research focused on the cultural implications (and construction) of socio-economic status and poverty, facilitates her entry into a variety of cultures. Congruent with her role as a public health nurse, Ms. Stewart assesses and advocates for systems that promote community health and intervenes through gardens to assures public access to fresh produce. Ms. Stewart has a plethora of post graduate awards, including, most recently, USA Today’s Best of Humankind award in the Earthkind category – a national award recognizing her success promoting social and environmental change. Ms. Steward holds a BSN in nursing from DePauw University and an MSN in nursing education from Bethel College.