Our Story
Inspired To Action
Steven Hoffen, a high school teen, was inspired to action following a visit to Sindyanna of Galilee, a nonprofit organization in Israel where Arab and Jewish women work together closely, cultivating social change as they grow produce in hydroponic gardens.
Photo by: Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards
Through a series of remote interviews conducted during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Steven documented Sindyanna’s efforts. There was a meaningful, ongoing collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli women, despite their cultural differences, demonstrating the importance of learning and the economic opportunities grown through the power of agricultural science.
From these interviews, Steven created an original short film, “Growing Peace in the Middle East,” now an award-winning documentary, to help show the world a really unique way that these amazing people are achieving greater independence and opportunity. In this particular case, Sindyanna brings together women whose lives couldn’t be more different and teaches them hydroponic farming skills that help them combat food insecurity while empowering them with meaningful, skilled, uplifting work.
Photo by: Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards
To continue to raise awareness and grow the humanitarian impact of his film, Steven formed the namesake nonprofit Growing Peace Inc. Inspired by the outcomes at Sindyanna, Growing Peace centers around hydroponics as a medium to educate, empower and help those in need. Growing Peace has now installed hydroponic gardens in Israel and throughout New York City.
“I hope to play my part in improving the world by providing healthy and nutritional food where it is less available and sharing a platform that can help teach others to become more aware of the benefits of farming technologies that improve our climate.”
- Steven Hoffen
After Steven's successful fundraising effort, his first hydroponics project to help an underserved community was installed in early 2022. Since then, Steven has worked to bring hydroponics to food pantries and other organizations that help those in need.