For close to 10 years, GROW HUB (Growing Real Opportunities to Work – Harvest of Urban Business) has been cultivating, empowering and assisting adults with disabilities through education, training and job opportunities.
The efforts by the Gainesville nonprofit organization and plant nursery were recently recognized, as GROW HUB was selected as the winner of Alachua County’s inaugural Disability-Friendly Employer Award.
According to an Alachua County Facebook post, the award, developed by the Citizens Disability Advisory Committee (CDAC), honors “local employers that demonstrate a strong commitment to creating inclusive, accessible workplaces for people with disabilities.”
“We’re deeply grateful to Alachua County for this honor and for recognizing our mission to provide meaningful employment, community education, and growth opportunities for adults with disabilities,” GROW HUB wrote in a Facebook post.
According to the Alachua County post, the CDAC established the award “as part of its 2025 work plan to recognize organizations that contribute to making Alachua County a more inclusive and welcoming community for all.”
The award was publicized via “outreach, social media and the annual Disability Awareness Expo,” the post said.
Several of GROW HUB’s team members were on hand to accept the award, including Executive Director David Banes.
In a phone interview with Mainstreet, Banes said winning the award “means a lot” to the employees, adding it’s like “giving them a voice in the community.”
According to its website, GROW HUB was established in 2016 “to meet a critical need faced by both local students and adults of varying abilities who complete their schooling at age 22, and have limited options for meaningful employment.”
The organization evolved from the School Board of Alachua County’s (SBAC) Farm to School Work Hub.
Eighty acres of forest land surround GROW Hub’s campus, 2900 NE 8th Ave., which is tucked away past the Horizon Center and Farm to School site.
Here, employees are developing skills in everything from gardening and groundskeeping to retail sales and craft-making.
Banes noted that GROW HUB was able to hire two employees at the end of its first year. He added that the number increased to 12 by the end of the second year.
Today, the organization has “up to 24 employees,” Banes said.
Community members can visit the GROW HUB campus Monday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., to check out its various offerings, ranging from plants, crafts, honey, etc.
To learn more about the organization’s mission, visit Growing Real Opportunities to Work.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.