ABOUT COMMON THREADS

OUR MISSION

Founded in 2007, Common Threads is a Bellingham, WA based non-profit that promotes a seed-to-table approach to gardening, nutrition and environmental stewardship.

Common Threads mission is to connect kids to healthy food in the garden, in the kitchen, and at the table. We want kids to grow up making food choices that are good for their bodies, their communities, and the environment.

OUR VISION

Our vision is of a world where:

  • Adults make choices that set kids up for a life of healthy eating
  • All children have the resources, information, and experiences needed to make healthy food choices every day
  • Learning about and eating healthy food is understood as an integral part of any education

Most of our programs take place on public school grounds, during the school day in collaboration with classroom teachers and food service staff. Additionally, Common Threads runs after-school and summertime gardening and cooking programs.

OUR VALUES

At Common Threads, the values of serve, nourish, strive guide our policies, procedures and the ways we interact with each other. 

 

Serve

  • We are guided by the question, “how can we help?” We all pitch in
  • We believe and behave as though service is love made visible. 
  • We serve as ambassadors – understanding that we represent both ourselves as individuals and Common Threads as an organization
  • We are mindful of our legacy, planting seeds in gardens and in people’s hearts and minds that we may never get to see

 

Nourish

  • We nourish the lands that we grow food on
  • We nourish relationships (with kids, community partners, and each other) through clear, respectul, timely communication. 
  • We nourish ourselves and pace ourselves through the cycles of the season; giving our all when that’s needed, while also making sure we have the energy for “mile 26 of the marathon”
  • We nourish each other by practicing gratitude and recognition. We take time to say things like “yay!”,  “well done!” or “happy birthday!”
  • We nourish our AmeriCorps service members through training and professional development to plant a seed for their future opportunities
  •  

Strive 

  • Ours is a stretching, learning organization
  • We strive to welcome, include and learn from diverse perspectives
  • We strive to think outside the box – we are guided but not bound by the past
  • We fail forward and welcome mistakes as learning opportunities (we celebrate the “oops!”)

LEARN MORE

If you are interested in learning more about Common Threads and the work that we do, you can visit some of the following pages:

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