Growing Together was created in February 2013 to plant fruit trees in urban neighborhoods in order to improve the environment, build community, and create a long term source of local healthy food in neighborhoods with a lack of tree cover, and classified as “food deserts”. Many of the children in these areas have never seen food growing and are delighted: "We get to show our parents we planted it and can eat what we planted." It is a joy for the volunteers as well who watch the children shift from 'I don't want to get my shoes dirty' to 'I want to take my shoes off and put my feet in the soil!'