<div dir="ltr"><div><p class="gmail-">Dear CCGA Team,</p>
<p class="gmail-">I hope this email finds you well. My name is Aniki Shani Coates, and I am reaching out to express my interest in becoming involved with the Chicago Community Gardeners Association (CCGA), specifically within the Resources & Distributions, Advocacy & Outreach, and/or Education working groups.</p>
<p class="gmail-">I serve as the Senior Manager of Horticulture & Wellness at Bethel New Life in Chicago, where I lead urban agriculture and wellness programming aimed at building community resilience and fostering environmental stewardship. Through my role, I am deeply invested in sustainable gardening practices and in addressing the challenges and opportunities that community gardeners face, particularly in urban spaces. Additionally, as the founder of Know Good & Well, a holistic wellness company focused on wellness horticulture and sustainable food systems, I work to empower individuals and communities through nature-based healing and education.</p>
<p class="gmail-">At Bethel New Life, I manage a variety of programs, including our wellness horticulture initiatives, which engage local residents in food cultivation and environmental stewardship. I also co-lead the Austin Food Ecosystem Initiative, which is a collaborative effort of over 40 established and planned partner organizations to enhance food security and workforce development in the Austin neighborhood. My work aligns closely with the CCGA's mission to support the sustainability and vibrancy of community gardens, and I am particularly drawn to the opportunity to contribute to your educational and advocacy efforts.</p>
<p class="gmail-">I am eager to join a team of like-minded individuals who are committed to advancing the work of community gardening and building sustainable ecosystems. I would love to learn more about how I can contribute to the current initiatives and offer my expertise and resources to help further CCGA’s goals.</p>
<p class="gmail-">Please let me know the next steps in becoming involved with your working groups, and thank you for considering my inquiry. I look forward to hearing from you.</p>
<p class="gmail-">Warm regards,<br>
Aniki Shani Coates<br>
Senior Manager of Horticulture & Wellness | Bethel New Life<br>
Founder | Know Good & Well</p></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-size:16px;border-collapse:collapse;font-family:Arial;line-height:1.15;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:top;padding:0.01px 14px 0.01px 1px;width:65px;text-align:center"></td><td valign="top" style="padding:0.01px 0.01px 0.01px 14px;vertical-align:top;border-left:1px solid rgb(171,51,44)"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr><td style="line-height:1.2;padding:0.01px"><font color="#646464"><b>Aniki Shani Coates</b></font><br><span style="text-transform:initial;font-weight:bold;color:rgb(100,100,100);line-height:1.2;font-size:13px">Senior Manager of Horticulture & Wellness<br></span><span style="text-transform:initial;font-weight:bold;color:rgb(100,100,100);line-height:1.2;font-size:13px">Bethel New Life</span></td></tr><tr><td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr><td nowrap width="525" style="padding-top:14px;white-space:nowrap;width:525px"><p style="margin:0.1px;line-height:1"><span style="font-size:11px;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><img src="https://cdn.gifo.wisestamp.com/s/rfp3/AB332C/24/trans.png" width="12" style="vertical-align:-2px;line-height:1.2;width:12px"> O | <a href="tel:773-473-7881" rel="nofollow noreferrer" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);text-decoration:unset" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.2;color:rgb(33,33,33)">773.473.7880    </span></a>        M | 630.506.9372</span><a href="tel:773-473-7881" rel="nofollow noreferrer" style="font-size:11px;color:rgb(17,85,204);text-decoration:unset" target="_blank"> </a><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33);font-size:11px"> </span><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33);font-size:11px"> </span></p><p style="margin:0.1px;line-height:1"><img src="https://cdn.gifo.wisestamp.com/s/rfw1/AB332C/24/trans.png" width="12" style="color:rgb(33,33,33);font-size:11px;vertical-align:-2px;line-height:1.2;width:12px"><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33);font-size:11px"> </span><a href="https://www.bethelnewlife.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer" style="font-size:11px;color:rgb(17,85,204);text-decoration:unset" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.2;color:rgb(33,33,33)">www.bethelnewlife.org</span> </a><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33);font-size:11px"> </span><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33);font-size:11px"> </span><img src="https://cdn.gifo.wisestamp.com/s/rfem1/AB332C/24/trans.png" width="12" style="color:rgb(33,33,33);font-size:11px;vertical-align:-2px;line-height:1.2;width:12px"><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33);font-size:11px"> aniki</span><a href="mailto:info@bethelnewlife.org" rel="nofollow noreferrer" style="font-size:11px;color:rgb(17,85,204);text-decoration:unset" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.2;color:rgb(33,33,33)">@bethelnewlife.org</span></a></p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap width="319" style="padding-top:7px;white-space:nowrap;width:319px"><p style="margin:0.1px;line-height:1"><span style="font-size:11px;color:rgb(33,33,33)"><img src="https://cdn.gifo.wisestamp.com/s/rfa2/AB332C/24/trans.png" width="12" style="vertical-align:-2px;line-height:1.2;width:12px"> <a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=4950%20W.%20Thomas%20St.%20Chicago,%20IL.%2060651" rel="nofollow noreferrer" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);text-decoration:unset" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.2;color:rgb(33,33,33)">4950 W. Thomas St. Chicago, IL. 60651</span></a></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:14px 0.01px 0.01px"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td align="left" style="padding-right:6px;text-align:center;padding-top:0px"><a href="https://facebook.com/bethelnew4950/" rel="nofollow noreferrer" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><img width="24" height="24" src="https://cdn.gifo.wisestamp.com/s/fb/3b5998/48/0/border.png" border="0" alt="facebook" style="float:left;border:none"></a></td><td align="left" style="padding-right:6px;text-align:center;padding-top:0px"><a href="https://instagram.com/bethelnew4950" rel="nofollow noreferrer" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><img width="24" height="24" src="https://cdn.gifo.wisestamp.com/s/inst/E4405F/48/0/border.png" border="0" alt="instagram" style="float:left;border:none"></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div>