Thank you to everyone who joined and voted in Pocket Change!
Here’s How Pocket Change Works
Have an idea to improve the southwest neighborhood? Apply for $1,000.
The Southwest Business Improvement District (SWBID) and the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA) created the Pocket Change micro-grant competition in 2018 to highlight and fund your remarkable idea to invest in the Southwest community.
Here’s how it works:
Any community members submit their idea to make Southwest DC a better place. Your ideas can be limitless, from starting book clubs to disrupting violence to art installations and teachable economic skills. Whatever your vision to enhance Southwest is, pitch it! See the winners below.
A panel of judges selects the top five applicants to pitch to the community at our event in February. A date will shortly be announced, and all are welcome to attend the event. A suggested $5 will be collected to be pooled and added to the micro-grant.
Event attendees listen to each pitch and vote for their favorite idea with the most potential for furthering Southwest.
The pitch with the most vote wins the $1,000 grant + door donations to make their idea a reality!
2022 Winner is Eat Your Greens: SW Gardens CSA & Nutrition Workshops
SW Garden’s mission is to create a space where neighbors can connect in a hands-on, peaceful, and respectful environment around the activity of growing produce. In the process of tending to vegetables, fruits, and other plants, the Southwest Community Garden group seeks to educate community members about gardening and the nutritional value of fresh produce and strengthen bonds among community members through inclusive community activities.
This year's pocket change pitch specifically revolved around Community-supported agriculture (CSA) & cooking demos.
The goal was to provide public housing residents with access to healthy food and cooking resources by expanding CSA to 10 households, hiring 3 farmhands from Greenleaf to help prepare produce & make deliveries once a week seasonally. This plan also includes 3 cooking demos for Greenleaf Seniors
Check out the other selected presenters and more information!