Multicultural Refugee Coalition (MRC) is celebrating our 5th Anniversary as the only long-term support organization for refugees legally resettled to our Austin community. Each week at our North Lamar community center we facilitate a range of programs that empower refugees towards self-sufficiency by creating opportunities for educational, professional and personal growth. Find out more about all our programs at mrcaustin.org.

The MRC New Leaf Agriculture Program seeks diverse opportunities to allow former occupational farmers to get their hands back in the dirt to feed their families and make delicious traditional meals with fresh produce! Our program began in 2010 through a partnership with Festival Beach Community Garden. Most Saturdays and throughout the week you can find our Bhutanese and Burundian gardeners providing loving attention to their plots, growing some interesting vegetables. Through the years, MRC gardeners and the Festival Beach garden community have shared knowledge, resources, meals at Solstice Potlucks, hugs and smiles and worked side-by-side at monthly garden workdays. Please stop by the southeast corner of the garden to say Hello!

Because of our success at Festival Beach, garden space is in high-demand within the refugee community. We are fortunate to have a new second garden space at Lanier High School that also provides chicken and honeybee raising. We have also partnered with Green Gate Farms through our Farm Link program to increase access to affordable produce and local growing knowledge. 11/11/14