Local volunteers help preschoolers grow fruits and vegetables and learn about healthy eating.
Washington, D.C. – April 27, 2011
MorganFranklin Corporation, a business and technology consulting firm that delivers financial management, performance improvement, and national security solutions to government and industry clients, announced its recent involvement in helping to build an edible garden at the Falls Church-McLean Children’s Center. The center provides comprehensive, high-quality early childhood programs designed to give all young children, regardless of their families’ economic resources, a strong foundation on which to build the rest of their lives. The center’s administrative staff, teachers, board members, and volunteers recently planted the edible garden to help children understand where food comes from and to encourage them to make healthy food choices by growing their own fruits and vegetables. Several studies have shown that children who participate in growing their own food make healthier food choices.
“Everything was coming together nicely,” said Michele Hoffman, board president at the Falls Church-McLean Children’s Center and a director at McLean-based MorganFranklin. “I enlisted my co-workers to help build the garden, the school was making plans, and then the funding fell through. We had the will, the know-how, the people, and the tools, but weren’t sure if we were going to be able to buy the materials and plants we needed. Fortunately, when I made the case to MorganFranklin’s corporate social responsibility team, they immediately saw the impact the program would have on the kids and donated funds for the garden so we could move ahead.”
On a Saturday morning in late April, 15 volunteers armed with shovels, rakes, saws, and hammers turned a section of the center’s playground into raised beds to plant the seeds for vegetables as well as lifelong lessons on the food chain, nutrition, and healthy eating habits.
“We’re really looking forward to watching the garden grow and, our children along with it,” said Elizabeth Page, executive director of the Falls Church-McLean Children’s Center. “More than 60% of our students come from low-income families. The snacks, breakfast and lunch that they eat here are often the healthiest meals they have. This garden is giving them the opportunity to grow, see, and taste vegetables, herbs, and fruits they might not be exposed to outside of the classroom environment.”
About MorganFranklin Consulting
MorganFranklin Consulting (www.morganfranklin.com) is a global management and technology consulting firm that works with leading businesses and government. The firm helps organizations solve their most pressing challenges and address critical finance, technology, and business objectives. MorganFranklin is headquartered in the Washington D.C. area with regional offices in Atlanta and San Francisco, and supports clients across the globe.
MorganFranklin Consulting is the brand name referring to the global organization of MorganFranklin, Inc. and its subsidiary MorganFranklin Consulting, LLC.
For Media Inquiries:
Andrew Moses
MorganFranklin Consulting
Phone: 703-564-7525
Email: Andrew.Moses@www.morganfranklin.com
