STATEN ISLAND, NY – The Intergenerational Rescue Foundation Inc. (IRF) has announced the official relaunch of its signature initiative, AGROWEEN Academic Social Hub, on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Staten Island.
With the theme “Agroween Feeds the Stomach, Feeds the Mind, and Heals the Community,” the event will celebrate and honor farmers, grocery workers, food factory workers, and community gardeners who kept communities alive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Post-COVID, we all clapped for our doctors and nurses, and they are heroes,” said Bimbola Bolaji, volunteer for IRF. “But we asked, who else kept us alive? It was the farmer in the field, the clerk in the grocery store, and the hands that planted and preserved food when the world shut down. They were lifesavers too, and we have never properly thanked them.”
IRF is a Human and Social Research Center focused on Food Security, Agriculture, Farm Advocacy, Research, Community and Environmental Sustainability, and Mental Health Awareness.
Community Roots Since COVID
Since the pandemic, IRF has remained active in the Forest Avenue, Richmond County area of Staten Island and beyond.
The organization credits its community partners for sustaining its mission. Dairy Queen on Forest Avenue provided space for IRF’s Community Health Awareness Program, while Lowe’s donated plants and family survival kits distributed to schools and community gardens.
Its backbone partner, the CUNY College of Staten Island Sustainability and Garden Club, has hosted monthly composting training and environmental awareness workshops for youth and families.
Why Agroween Matters Now
According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap 2024, nearly 1.5 million New Yorkers still experience food insecurity, including 1 in 4 children in New York City, while 35 to 40 percent of food in New York enters the waste stream.
Organizers say Agroween addresses two critical gaps: cultural disconnection from food and a lack of purpose among youth.
From an anthropological perspective, the program reconnects children to the source of their food through farm-to-plate demonstrations, farm advocacy, and local and international research trips.
From a psychological perspective, it tackles school absenteeism and mental health by building autonomy, competence, and relatedness through Integrative Nutrition Health Coaching, no-cook labs, eat-the-rainbow challenges, and STEM through Gardening.
“When a child turns lunch scraps into soil, they are not powerless against climate change. They are a steward,” Bolaji added.
Invitation to Become a Chapter
IRF is now inviting schools, farms, food stores, and community centers in District 31 and beyond to become an official Agroween Chapter.
Benefits of a chapter include food security workshops, urban farming in schools, nutrition coaching for youth and parents, environmental sustainability projects, research trips, and mental health awareness through nature.
The August 22 relaunch will feature student exhibitions, composting and STEM showcases, mentor meetups, and resource tables.
Event Details:
What: AGROWEEN Academic Social Hub Relaunch
When: Saturday, August 22, 2026
Where: Hilton Garden Inn, Staten Island
RSVP and Chapter Registration Deadline: August 15, 2026
To register, contact Agroween@outlook.com or call 347-359-6407. Visit http://www.
Agroween... Nature's Priority for Humanity.
Intergenerational Rescue Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.