After her non-profit’s annual event, Chonnie Richey describes a phone call she will never forget. Her non-profit, Independence Gardens, had just finished its program, Come and EAT IT, that allows kids to explore and expand their culinary knowledge by creating their own meal with a chef’s instruction and sharing the meal together at the end. One can only imagine how the chef might feel after hours spent in a room full of children and food, so Richey was surprised when the chef called her the next day, asking if they could host the event weekly. The chef explained the reason for his request - a boy who refused to eat his food with the others after making it. The little boy had told the instructor he wanted to bring it back to his parents as he believed they would never be able to afford such a nice meal. The meal they had created: a caesar salad.
The “caesar salad story” as coined by Richey, is a reaffirmation of the heart of Independence Gardens, her passion project created in 2013 that aims “to provide all children — especially those in underserved communities — access to fresh food and empower them through nutrition education, leadership development, and innovative solutions that address food insecurity, health equity, and climate impact.” By giving children a seed to grow from, the nonprofit teaches leadership, innovative thinking, and nutrition education by action.
The Come and EAT IT program is just one of the various projects Independence Gardens uses to spread its message in the community. Over 795 students participated in Come and EAT IT, Independence Gardens’ trademark Chef-cooking program, with plans to offer the immersive program to 1200 students in 2026. The nonprofit has constructed community gardens and hydroponic towers in three local elementary schools to allow children access to fresh food year-round, planning to create more each year. For those who wish to bring their gardening skills indoors, they can participate in “the Beanstalk Project,” which teaches hydroponic gardening that can grow up to 30 pounds of food. The charitable organization has also recently sparked a new initiative in collaboration with EarthX to offer 100 middle school and high school-aged girls leadership and sustainability training for twelve weeks, a ticket to the Climate Youth Summit in Dallas, and a chance to pitch their own sustainability prototypes on a global stage. Each program promotes innovative thinking through hands-on experience, leadership skills by strengthening collaboration, nutrition education through engaging activities, and is free to participate in, thanks to generous donations from the community and partners.
Independence Gardens focuses on providing its services to Title 1 schools – schools that receive federal funding to support students from low-income families. These are targeted to ensure no kid is left hungry for learning or leaving school on an empty stomach–one of the main reasons for Richey creating the organization. Afterall, it was while tasting and observing her own daughter’s school lunch that the idea for the nonprofit was formed. Since then, Independence Gardens continues to grow and thrive through various projects and programs while keeping the mission simple: “that {kids} can go to school and get fresh food,” Richey says.
By giving children a seed to grow from, the nonprofit teaches leadership, innovative thinking, and nutrition education by action.