Breaking ground on our “Good Ground Garden”

More than 50 volunteers, UrbanPromise staff, students and families attended a work day this past Saturday and helped break ground for our “Good Ground Garden”.

The 3500 sq. ft. lot, located right next to our newly-renovated UrbanPromise Academy building, previously contained an abandoned building and overgrown backyard. The garden and outdoor educational space is part of our multi-year transformation of these properties.



Together the volunteers spread more than 80 cubic yards of soils and mulch to prepare the space for spring planting. Three master gardener volunteers are leading the garden design and are teaching classes at UrbanPromise Academy so the students and staff can participate in garden development and eventually feel ownership for the area.

They were joined by volunteers from the Travis Manion Foundation  and aided by a skid loader operated gratis by Mike Cackowski of GreenLine Lawn and Landscaping.

The group took time to mark the ground-breaking and connect the property transformation to the transformation at the core of our vision:  

To be a community in Christ of servant leadership and transformation, seeking a full life for all involved: urban youth, families, volunteers and staff in the neighborhoods of our city.

Executive Director and Founder, Rob Prestowitz, said: “Today our community worked alongside each other in the spirit of our vision; demonstrating wholeheartedness, love, interest in our youth and their future, in our city, and how our lives and choices affect each other.”

 Want to join in the transformation?

1. Join us for a future “PowerUP” Work Day: Our next three dates are April 17, May 1 and June 5. We welcome individuals, families, corporate teams, church groups and more. Details here.

2. Share our current job openings with your friends and family: We’re seeking teachers, after school/summer camp leaders and other qualified candidates who want to help us reach children, raise leaders and restore community. View the openings and spread the word.

3. Donate toward our Good Ground Garden project and other programs:


Vision & Mission

Our vision is to be a community in Christ of servant leadership and transformation, seeking a full life for all involved: urban youth, families, volunteers and staff in the neighborhoods of our city.

The mission of UrbanPromise Wilmington is to equip children and young adults through Christ with the skills necessary for academic achievement, life management, personal growth and servant leadership.