Nourish the People. Build The Neighborhood

About Upstate Circle of Friends

Upstate Circle of Friends (UCF) is rooted in Greenville’s District 25, where we provide essential programs that feed families, create economic opportunity, and support veterans. Our mission is to transform communities by investing in opportunity, dignity, and access to basic needs.

This year’s Give 8/28 campaign focuses on three high-impact programs:

Summer Break Café – Fighting Hunger with Dignity

We serve over 1,200 meals daily to children during school breaks. In a community where grocery stores are scarce and resources are limited, every meal is a step toward better health, educational focus, and hope.

Career Café – Creating Economic Power in District 25

District 25 is a food desert because businesses will not invest in low-income areas. Our Career Café helps residents access higher-paying jobs, new careers, and economic empowerment, paving the way for essential businesses to return.

VetForward – Restoring Honor with Holistic Support

Our VetForward program provides veterans, many of them Black men and women, with housing assistance, mental health resources, and job training so they can rebuild their lives with dignity.

UCF Urban Teaching Farm – Growing Food and Knowledge

The UCF Urban Teaching Farm is our answer to District 25’s lack of grocery access. We grow and distribute fresh vegetables directly to families in the neighborhood, ensuring they have access to healthy food. But we don’t stop there — we teach residents how to grow their own food.

Through free and low-cost workshops, hands-on training, and youth education programs, community members learn to plant, harvest, and prepare fresh produce. This work addresses immediate hunger while building self-reliance and food security for the future.

Your support will allow us to:

• Expand growing capacity to feed more families

• Increase the number of free gardening and farming workshops

• Provide seeds, tools, and resources for residents to start their own gardens

Fundraising Goal

Raise $25,000 during Give 8/28 to expand these programs and serve more families, veterans, and job seekers in District 25.

Your Impact

Your gift can help feed children in our community during school breaks.Your support can sponsor a job training session that opens doors to better opportunities.Your contribution can provide a week of vital resources for a veteran.Your generosity can launch a new career pathway for a District 25 resident.

Every contribution stays in our community and fuels long-term, sustainable change.

Why Give 8/28

Give 8/28 is a national day of giving dedicated to Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofits. August 28 is a day of deep significance in Black history:

• Emmett Till’s murder in 1955

• Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963

• President Barack Obama’s Democratic nomination acceptance in 2008

By giving, you honor this legacy while investing in a stronger, healthier, and more prosperous District 25.

Call to Action

Donate today. Share our story. Celebrate Black Giving. Click the donate button to join the movement and help nourish the people, build the neighborhood, and change the future of District 25.