Dignity First
Every woman is treated as a daughter of worth — never a case file, never a number.
About Us
A garden of second chances,tended with faith.
Bee Courageous @ Garden Grub began with a simple conviction: women who have endured trauma, loss, or instability deserve more than survival — they deserve restoration.
Our Founder's Story
Faith, nourishment, and the courage to begin again
Bee Courageous at Garden Grub grew out of my own journey — a journey through hardship, motherhood, faith, and learning that our circumstances do not have to define our future.
As a single mother, I knew what it meant to need help. I experienced life on public assistance and the responsibility of raising a family while working toward greater stability. Those experiences shaped how I see people today. Behind every need is a person with a story, gifts, and possibilities that may simply need room to grow.
In 2019, my son's arrest became a turning point in my life. It brought painful questions and a deeper awareness of how one person's struggles affect an entire family. That season helped shape my desire to walk alongside women and families facing difficult circumstances — to offer compassion, encouragement, and opportunities to move forward.
My faith has been the foundation of that calling. To me, courage means taking the next faithful step, even when the way ahead feels uncertain.
Through Garden Grub, food became a practical way to serve. A nourishing meal can bring people to the table, open a conversation, and create a sense of belonging. Bee Courageous grew from that same desire to care for the whole person: to nourish the body, encourage the heart, and make space for spiritual growth.
Today, Bee Courageous at Garden Grub brings that vision to life through meals, community gatherings, women's retreats, service opportunities, and faith-based programs. Our certified leaders facilitate established curricula that support women as they explore healing and deepen their relationship with God. We recognize that each woman arrives with different experiences, needs, and readiness, and we seek to meet her with dignity and care.
My journey from receiving assistance to founding a nonprofit has given me a conviction I carry into this work: people deserve to be seen for more than the hardest chapter of their lives.
My hope is that every woman who comes through our doors finds a place to belong, discovers her gifts, and gains the courage to take her next step. As she grows, she can also become a source of encouragement and hope for others.
— Sandra Blum, Founder
Sandra Blum, Founder
"Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
Rooted in Warren, PAFounded 2024One meal, one step at a time
"That is the heart of Bee Courageous: nourishment, belonging, and faith that helps us move forward — one person, one meal, and one courageous step at a time."
Meg Harkins, Co-Founder
"My story wasn't over. And neither is yours."
25+ Years in NursingBody · Soul · SpiritGrace Upon Grace
Our Co-Founder's Story
From survival to surrender
My story includes abuse, alcoholism and addiction, broken relationships, life-threatening illness, and choices I wish I could make differently. There were seasons when I lived in survival mode and allowed my past to shape how I saw myself and the choices I made.
But God had a different story to tell.
Through surrendering my life to Jesus, I began to understand that healing wasn't about erasing my past. It was allowing God to redeem it. I learned to receive His grace, forgive myself and others, break unhealthy patterns, and discover who I am in Christ.
My more than 25 years in nursing also shaped the way I see healing. We are whole people. What affects the body can affect the mind and spirit. What wounds the heart can show up in relationships, habits, health, and the way we see ourselves. That is why I am passionate about helping women pursue healing in body, soul, and spirit.
I don't walk beside women because I have always gotten it right. I walk beside them because I know what it is to need grace, another chance, and the courage to begin again.
I believe Jesus still restores. I believe cycles can be broken. And I believe the places we once felt most disqualified can become the very places God uses to help someone else.
— Meg Harkins, Co-Founder
Who We Serve
For the woman starting over
We serve women who have experienced trauma, loss, homelessness, domestic instability, addiction recovery, incarceration re-entry, or the quiet erosion of hope that comes from years of simply surviving.
Our answer is not a single program but a whole ecosystem: faith-based empowerment, holistic health coaching, nourishment through food, gardening for sustainability, vocational training, and a community that refuses to let go. Over three years, women move from foundation, to growth, to leadership.
The bee in our name is our teacher — small but courageous, gathering what is good, building something sweet that nourishes everyone around it. That is what our women do, season after season.
Two Hearts, One Mission
One greater impact
Bee Courageous and Garden Grub began as two separate ministries — one healing hearts through faith, one nourishing bodies through food. We've merged them into one transformational space where women and our community are nourished in body, soul, and spirit.
"Meals feed bodies. Community restores hope. Purpose changes lives."
Many of the women in our healing programs gain confidence, purpose, and practical skills by serving in the garden and kitchen — and friends of Garden Grub often discover a healing journey waiting for them too.
What We Hold Dear
Values that keep the garden growing
Faith as Foundation
Hope anchored in Christ sustains the long, brave work of healing.
Trauma-Informed Care
Safety, choice, and gentleness shape every gathering, meal, and conversation.
Slow, Sustainable Growth
Three unhurried years — because transformation that lasts is grown, not rushed.
Community as Medicine
Sisterhood, shared tables, and shared soil are central to restoration.
Excellence Through Partnership
We collaborate with licensed mental health and community professionals.
Come see what is growing here.
Join us for a meal, a garden day, or a conversation. The gate is open.