MANDAN, ND (KXNET) — Sometimes hope isn't something you have; it's something you grow. And Mandan High School senior Brooklyn Miller is planting hope — one seed at a time. "It all started by my garden I do in the summer," said Miller, "which I donate all my produce back to the community at a local food pantry." And she said while visiting these pantries, that's where she saw a need that had to be filled. "They do not have as much fresh produce as they would like," she explained, "so that kinda compelled me to find something to do about that and kinda fix that." So when Miller was tasked with coming up with a school project, she knew from the start that she wanted to do something with a big impact, something that would make a difference. "I decided I wanted to continue my project," Miller said. She came up with the idea of a mini greenhouse. But this wasn't just any greenhouse; this was a greenhouse for good. "It's available to the school, the staff, anyone who comes throughout the school can take care of it," she added. "So anyone who's at a basketball game, volleyball game, they can all take a plant and a poster from it, so it just kinda helps boost the community." Feeding America says that in North Dakota, more than 66,000 people face hunger. Of that 66,000, about 24,000 are children. State Historical Society offers interactive series for kids Miller wanted to address this need on a scale larger than what her classroom could provide, so she applied for a National FFA Grant. "So one of my advisors helped me put together the national grant for this," she said, "so we spent about four hours at a coffee shop putting together this whole entire grant thing." And a couple of months later, she got the grant. The greenhouse took months to complete. From buying the equipment to doing social outreach, Miller said the entire project cost around $1,600. The greenhouse provides monthly plants and seeds like microgreens, vegetables, and houseplants for people in the community, so they not only take healthy food home; they can plant their own. "It just kinda helps our community grow," she added, "and more people can use their green thumb in productive and good ways." Miller says she looks forward to continuing her mission when she eventually graduates high school and starts college. "It's a pretty big accomplishment," she concluded. "I think we've definitely hit more people than what we expected, especially being off in a corner. It's definitely pretty accomplishing." Miller says so far, her greenhouse has helped more than 100 people. She says the greenhouse is available for anyone passing through the school who is in need. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW