"During the financial crisis, I was like a lot of other people, getting impacted in business and losing business and clients. I was sitting right where I'm sitting right now, getting depressed, and I was reading about schools and underfunded schools in New York City, said Hillery. And that word, that phrase, just didn't resonate. I couldn't understand. I mean, we're in the richest city in the world, and how do you have an underfunded school, right? That confusion and frustration became a turning point."
"We don't give people just a bag and say, Here.' You come to our farm stands, you would think you were shopping at Whole Foods. We have the big baskets that are constantly refilled. People come and they can take what they know, not take a bag and go home and throw away half the stuff because they're unfamiliar with it."
Tony Hillery shifted from a business career to community service after encountering underfunded schools during the financial crisis. He volunteered in Harlem, connected with local children, and established Harlem Grown to address neighborhood needs through youth development and urban agriculture. The organization partners with students to grow food, operate farm stands, and distribute produce in respectful, dignified ways that reduce waste. Hillery emphasizes hands-on experience and careful listening to community needs, treating residents as shoppers rather than passive recipients. The program offers consistent food access and educational opportunities amid persistent budget cuts and local inequities.
Read at www.amny.com
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