"At the end of sixth grade, the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, and while I was happy to have the luxury of sleeping in for what I thought would be two weeks, it turned into a long year of isolation and uncertainty for my family. My parents would soon be forced to shut down their business, and what grew from it was a dominating concern for having food on the table.
Then, in May of 2020, my parents started gardening. Every morning, I saw them in the garden, awake for hours before me to weed and water the plants. Devoting all their time to nourishing and managing this garden, they developed a green thumb and grew a variety of fruits and vegetables. However, seeing them happy for the first time in months was most important to me. 
Our dinners eventually became nutrient-packed meals filled with the vegetables they grew in the backyard. But gardening wasn't enough for them, so naturally, they built a chicken coop from the ground up. With a surplus of fresh eggs and produce, my parents shared with our neighbors, creating a sense of community through the quarantine that was separating us all. 
From that moment on, I decided to dedicate myself fully to aiding others enduring the same struggles my family faced during COVID-19. I recruited my friends, and together, we established Green Grove, a youth-led nonprofit organization aiding individuals experiencing food insecurity while educating them about environmental and sustainable practices. 
With a force of volunteers, Green Grove can act as a support system for families in need. By sourcing from farms throughout Maryland, collecting unwanted produce, and redirecting unsold food from various restaurants and fast food chains, Green Grove can focus on widening food access in food deserts while reducing food waste and creating a positive environmental impact."

- Phu Tran, Co-Founder