On Saturday, June 7th, something sprouted at the 7th annual “Veggiestock”, and we don’t just mean the free plants!
The GROW Co. Market, a youth-led, “Pay-What-You-Can” pop up market, launched for the very first time. Powered by the Windham Youth Network & the Windham Youth CORE, this market was more than a table, it was an opportunity for youth to be leaders, learn about business practices and to connect with their community at large.
What is The GROW Co.? The GROW Co. is a project run by the youth programs at GROW Windham. Our goal is to create a market space that offers youth made products & merchandise and above all, experiences without financial barriers. Whether you’re picking up hot sauce made from produce in the garden and bottled by youth, a youth-designed t-shirt, or making your own empowerment pin, you decide what you can pay. No judgement, no pressure. Just community powered exchange.
Veggiestock, held at Lauter Park in Willimantic, CT, brought together plant-lovers, gardeners, artists and community members to celebrate local food, creativity and mutual aid. We were honored to launch The GROW Co. Market in the heart of it all.
Our merch was priced using a sliding scale, meaning folks could choose how much they were able to contribute, whether that was $1 or $18. Every dollar goes right back into youth programming, and every customer left knowing they supported something bigger than a purchase.
This was just our first market, and we’re only getting started! We’ll be popping up all summer (and hopefully beyond!) with new products, fresh designs and more opportunities to engage with the community to help support these youth-led initiatives.
Want to catch us at the next market? Follow us on Instagram @windhamyouthnetwork & @growwindham for updates!
Thank you to everyone who showed up, shared love, and supported our vision. Whether you bought something, made a donation or just stopped to talk, you helped us GROW!
In Solidarity,
- The Windham Youth Network & The Windham Youth CORE
