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Stronger together with community partners.

No single organization closes the gap on education, nutrition, and family stability alone. Blue Bear Foundation partners with grassroots organizations that are already trusted in their neighborhoods, so our programs reach further and their work reaches more people.

Become a Partner See Our Partners

Why we partner

Shared missions, shared reach, shared results.

Our partnerships are built around organizations whose everyday work overlaps with ours: education, wellbeing, and the practical needs of families.

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Trusted local roots

Partners bring relationships we can't build overnight — neighbors who already know them, show up for them, and rely on them.

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Education beyond a classroom

Financial literacy, nutrition, and hands-on skills all teach the same lesson: people do better when they have knowledge and access.

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Whole-family support

Scholarships matter more when a family also has food, stability, and a safe place to gather. Partners help us cover more of that picture.

Featured partner

Preston Community Garden

A 501(c)(3) community garden in East St. Louis, Illinois that grows fresh produce and gives away every bit of its harvest at no cost.

Preston Community Garden

501(c)(3) Nonprofit East St. Louis, IL 5+ years growing

Visit prestoncommunitygarden.org ↗

Preston Community Garden was founded by Patrice Preston Rogers in memory of her father, Ronnie Preston, whose health struggles with hypertension and high cholesterol made the cost of poor food access painfully clear. The garden carries forward a family tradition of growing your own — and turns it outward, so an entire neighborhood benefits.

“Promoting a better quality of life by providing a safe and peaceful place where people of all ages can connect through cultivating.” — Preston Community Garden, mission statement

Their vision is straightforward and ambitious at the same time: secure access to fresh produce for East St. Louis residents while building stronger relationships between the people who live there. Everything the garden grows is donated.

What they do

Donate 100% of the harvest to the community, free of charge
Host Soil Therapy Saturdays for hands-on gardening and connection
Open each growing season with a community Season Opener event
Celebrate the harvest with an annual Fall Festival
Welcome volunteers of every age and experience level
Teach the health, nutrition, and wellbeing benefits of gardening

Partner details

📍Location733 N 11th St, East St. Louis, IL 62201
🕒HoursOpen to the public, closing at sunset
✉️Emailinfo@prestoncommunitygarden.org
🌐Websiteprestoncommunitygarden.org
🌿FocusFood access, nutrition education, community wellbeing

Learn more about the garden ↗ Volunteer or sponsor ↗

Why this partnership

Education and nutrition are the same conversation.

Blue Bear Foundation works on scholarships, financial literacy, and family stability. Preston Community Garden works on food access, health, and neighborhood connection. Those goals meet in the middle.

Food accessFresh produce removes one more barrier for families already stretching a budget.

Learning by doingGardening teaches planning, patience, and nutrition — skills that travel well beyond the garden bed.

Community spaceA safe, peaceful gathering place for all ages, which is exactly the kind of place programs thrive in.

Shared audiencesStudents, seniors, veterans, and families — the same people both organizations show up for.

Community partners

Organizations we've worked alongside.

Beyond our featured partnership, the Foundation's seasonal drives and resource events run in cooperation with local organizations who put donations directly into families' hands.

⛪Holiday Toy Drive

Heritage Christian Center Church

Host site for holiday toy distribution, where donated toys are laid out for families to choose from.

🏠Holiday Toy Drive

Hope House — Empowering Teen Moms

Recipient of Christmas toy donations for young mothers and their children during the holiday season.

🧸Education Fundraising

Cuddle Up For Education

Our blue bear campaign, where every bear purchased supports the Foundation's education and scholarship work.

See the drives in action

Become a partner

Bring your organization into the work.

Nonprofits, churches, schools, and businesses all partner with us in different ways. Tell us what you do and we'll find the overlap.

🤝Program partnerCo-host workshops, drives, or resource events in your community.

🎁Donation partnerServe as a collection site or distribution point for our seasonal drives.

$Corporate sponsorFund scholarships, gift cards, or a specific campaign as a business.

📣Outreach partnerShare resources with the families and students you already serve.

Let's talk about what we can do together.

Reach out with a short note about your organization and the community you serve. We'll follow up to talk through what a partnership could look like.