Alana is the Executive Director of Grow Springfield, a non-profit organization that supports community gardening initiatives in Springfield, Illinois. She helped create and currently manages the 500 student youth gardening program at Butler Elementary School that provides children with an opportunity to grow their own food, harvest it, and prepare it in simple recipes. The school also has a native pollinator garden that is certified as a monarch way station, on-site composting, and rain barrels.

Alana helped create and currently manages a very similar community garden program at the Boys & Girls Club of Central Illinois that serves 100 kids throughout the year. This spring, a beehive was introduced into this program and this summer, the students here will enjoy their 4th Annual Kids Day at the Farm field trip.

Alana helped start a seed lending program at her local, downtown library and also does community outreach through other schools, churches, and colleges in the area. She volunteers and provides resources for other community gardens in Springfield and helps organize events that highlight community, food, and the environment.