By Lily Nussbaum | Staff Writer
Nestled on the corner of 15th Street and Colcord Avenue, Urban REAP allows community members to learn and participate in creation care through environment-centered programming.
Urban REAP is a project that works toward creating a more sustainable future by taking action and being a “cleaner, healthier and more empowered community for everyone.”
As a branch of the local nonprofit Mission Waco, Urban REAP addresses social injustice by taking on environmental justice. The project has created four main initiatives to address these issues in Central Texas: the aquaponics food house, a compost bucket program, the Garden Center and educational workshops and activities.
“Our motto is ‘loving our neighbor by loving our Earth,’” Emily Hills, director of Urban REAP, said. “If you want to take care of your community, you can’t ignore the environmental quality.”
Hills said education is one of the most vital aspects of Urban REAP because “you don’t know what you don’t know.” By bringing in community members, she said they hope to change the behavior of individuals for the better.
“Like thinking about trash — no one wants to live next to a landfill, but we all contribute to one,” Hills said. “So how can we be mindful of where our waste goes and be better stewards of that?”
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, 40% of all food produced in the United States gets thrown away. Through its education and compost bucket program, Urban REAP hopes to turn this food waste into compost that can be used in the soil of produce gardens, which can then feed the 28% of people in McLennan County who are experiencing food insecurity.
“It takes something that a lot of us think of as output — a waste — and it creates,” Hills said. “Rather than tossing our food waste, let’s reinvest it in our local soils so that we can reinvest it in our local food soils as well.”
In addition to the composting opportunity, Urban REAP has traditional volunteer work, internships and home-grown produce available at Jubilee Food Market. In the community Garden Center, people can also purchase garden tools, succulents and native and non-native plants.
“There’s lots of opportunities to get involved in a smaller way that’s not like, ‘I’m committing my money and time for the entire semester,’” Hills said.
Clark, N.J., freshman Sophie Vastine said she is involved in Urban REAP through Baylor’s work-study program. When looking at possible jobs, she said Urban REAP stood out because it would give her a boost in becoming more environmentally conscious.
“It seemed like such a daunting task,” Vastine said. “Being here and seeing how simple it is shows that anyone can do it. There’s resources out there; you just have to do your research.”
