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LifeCycles develops and runs community garden projects in Victoria where food is grown for local soup kitchens. These projects parallel those of its youth exchange partner organization in Santiago, Chile. LifeCycles is able to provide a logical and hopeful solution to health and wellness issues of persons who can not afford fresh produce and healthy diets. Although Victoria is commonly thought of as a prosperous region, it also has high levels of homelessness, urban poverty, and inner city at risk youth. The group sees community gardens as a way of uniting people and teaching them where their food comes from. 2005 was the first year of a new Business is Growing program aimed at broader support for young farmers and entrepreneurs and providing links to resources including capital, facilities, equipment, labour and shared promotion and marketing opportunities. LifeCycles is currently merging with Common Ground, an organization with a strong focus on mentoring youth and stimulating healthy and secure urban-rural food systems, youth empowerment, community entrepreneurship and green city development and networking in the Victoria region. With national and international links, their key programs are organized into: green community economic development, community mapping and planning, regional food security, and networking. (Source: CCEDNet Profiles of Youth in CED, 2006)

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