Feel Good Friday - Plant It Again

It’s Feel Good Friday and I’m in sunny San Diego, home of a relatively new nonprofit organization, Plant It Again.

Founded in 2020 by San Diego teen, Olivia Kries, the team at Plant It Again (PIA) recycles drought tolerant plants back into local communities and creates meaningful employment for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Their vision is “to create an innovative center that not only educates but integrates all members of our diverse community.”

Olivia got the idea for PIA when she saw her mom discarding succulent trimmings. She felt this was wasteful and knew she could take a clipping and plant it again, hence the name of the organization. The PIA team hopes that by recycling and selling donated yard cuttings and plants, they will inspire and educate the public on the many benefits of succulent gardening and landscaping. Watch this 3-minute video to learn more about the origin story and see Olivia and the team.

PIA provides job opportunities and training to adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Since opening three years ago, they’ve created six paid positions in roles such as plant donation processors, arrangement designers, sales clerks, and class instructors. PIA has also hosted over 1,000 hours community engagement for people with moderate to severe developmental and intellectual disabilities.

If you want to help this new nonprofit grow, there are many ways to do so. People living in the San Diego area can visit the store to buy some plants or donate old gardening tools, pots, and other items to be refurbished and sold to raise funds. The rest of us can make a donation and stay in the loop on social media. Follow Plant It Again on Facebook, and on Twitter and Instagram @plantitagai