OUR STORY

Bright Spot Ventures is a social enterprise that was created by West End Neighborhood House in April of 2010 thanks to a generous gift from Barclays US. The program was designed to give Delaware’s former foster care youth real-world, paid employment experience (for many their first) in a contextual learning environment. 

Bright Spot Farms: In 2011, West End created a community garden in the heart of the city’s Little Italy district. Youth in West End’s Bright Spot Ventures program used several of the plots to grow produce, which they then sold at the Cool Spring Farmers’ Market (10th and Jackson Streets in Wilmington).

In 2014 the urban agriculture program became Bright Spot Farms and expanded to include a ½ acre of arable land and greenhouse (through a partnership with Delaware’s Department of Health & Social Services); initiated a pilot program to grow starter plant material for community gardens in New Castle County; and added a Mobile Market thanks to a grant from Highmark Delaware.

Today, Bright Spot Farms work with approximately 25 youth annually through training programs aimed to support and empower young adults both in and out of school. We serve 3 farmers markets in Wilmington and New Castle and sell our produce to a number of retail and restaurant partners who are dedicated to supporting local farmers. We also sell a wide variety of spring annual and perennial flowers as well as beautiful holiday poinsettias to our community!​

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