Edgecombe County nonprofit creates community through grant funding
Hill Family Farm Education Center hosts hundreds of people every year for different events at the farm. The nonprofit is funded entirely through community grants like the Edgecombe County Recreation Mini-Grant.
Hill Family Farm is one of the few spaces where people can gather in Edgecombe County for events that connect them with the community.
Eunice Hill started Hill Family Farm as a nonprofit in 2016. Before then, the funding came directly from her bank account.
"We started doing this in 2016. We were funding this out of our pocket," Hill said.
Hill started the nonprofit to fight food insecurity by inviting people to her 20-acre farm for a home-grown meal and a bag of food to take home. Today, it’s blossomed into a gathering place for people of all ages.
"We have people who come not just for food, but to exercise, to be educated in 3D printing, beekeeping, [and nutrition.] You name it," Hill said.
Hill said it is thanks to grant funding that she can make it happen.
"Everything is funded by grants," she said. "I sleep and breathe finding grants and writing grants."
This year, Hill is eligible to receive up to $5,000 from Edgecombe County from the Edgecombe County Recreation Mini-Grant Program. Edgecombe County commissioners are offering $50,000 in total to different organizations across the state to promote recreation.
Hill is happy to see more investments put toward recreation in the county. If she receives the grant again, she said her organization plans to put the money toward more resources toward a cycling program.
"We are going to use that to purchase more bicycles, more helmets, more safety training for the children," she said.
Everywhere you look on the farm, there is grant funding in action.
"We were able to get this building. For many years, we were doing these recreational activities outdoors, so whenever it was raining or too hot, we had to cancel," Hill said.
With the help of more funding, Hill said she’s planning on 2024 being the best year yet at Hill Family Farm. To get involved, you can visit the Facebook page.
