ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (August 1, 2023) – Polly’s Pies is staying true to its promise of serving its local communities by teaming up with Ground Education to create a new green space at John Muir Academy in Long Beach.
Drawing inspiration from their own family heritage, the founders of Polly’s Pies shared glimpses of their cherished family Victory Garden, which has been a symbol of nourishment, sustainability, and togetherness for generations. Encouraged by this legacy, Polly’s Pies seeks to extend the spirit of their family garden to the broader community.
Completed in late June, the family-owned restaurant jumpstarted the project by donating $10,000 and volunteering its team to assist with the construction of the garden by assembling sheds, a hand washing station and a compost bin, as well as planting native milkweed for monarch butterflies. The garden was built with the help of the Conservation Corp of Long Beach, a youth and workforce non-profit that gives educational jobs to those obtaining a high school diploma.
“We’re excited to partner with Ground Education to help bring this garden to life for the students at John Muir Academy,” said Polly’s Pies Director of Brand Marketing Jacklyn Mitosinka. “Currently, there’s almost no green space on campus, so faculty and students alike are ecstatic about the change of scenery. We believe in the importance of providing our youth with outdoor learning opportunities, and we’re proud to support this project.”
The garden will provide students with an opportunity to learn about gardening and nature while also creating a space for outdoor classroom activities and community events. Polly’s Pies and Ground Education hope that this act will inspire other businesses and organizations to invest in similar initiatives in schools and communities across the country.
For more information, visit pollyspies.com or follow Polly’s on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Polly’s Pies fans can experience that signature flavor no matter where they live, thanks to the brand’s nationwide online pie shipping at shoppollyspies.com/collections/bake-at-home-pies.
About Polly’s Pies
Polly’s Pies was founded in 1968 by brothers Eddie and Donald Sheldrake in Fullerton, California. The legacy restaurant company, which will celebrate 55 years in 2023, is still family owned with Donald sitting on the board of directors and his great niece, Jacklyn Mitosinka, serving as the company’s Director of Brand. The company has 13 locations throughout Southern California offering breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as an assortment of fresh bakery items. Known for its premium pies, Polly’s now offers nationwide shipping on its double crusted pies.
About Ground Education:
Ground Education founders, Holland Brown and Karen Taylor are gardeners, educators, and citizen scientists with a passion for outdoor learning. Over a decade ago, they started gardening together in their children’s kindergarten classroom and the collaboration has since grown into a dynamic non-profit organization with a robust TK-8 curriculum that encourages all kids to explore the important connections between healthy food, a vibrant community, and environmental responsibility.