Having had the strangest spring in recent history, live civilly had been waiting and waiting to be able to clean out the gardens on Camden Avenue and prepare them for planting. This weekend, with summer on our doorstep, Girl Scout Troop 23618 and a group of high school students have saved the day and have prepared the Camden Avenue beds for growing!
Friday afternoon, Girl Scout Troop 23618 arrived with gloves and shovels at the ready to help move the five cubic yards of dirt that had been graciously donated by Leonberg Nurseries to rehab the Camden Avenue beds. The following morning, these girls returned assisted by a group of teenagers responding to the Facebook Plea for “strong backs and willing spirits” arrived to move he remaining dirt and create the beautiful beds that re there today!
Each summer, live civilly is joined by hundreds of local youth, families, organizations and partners, to help provide nutritious and beautiful produce to the three local food pantries. Beginning in 2013 at the Camden Avenue site, live civilly now has six different Community Supported Garden locations that produce hundreds of pounds of fresh vegetables each summer. The reason these are Community Supported Gardens and not just Community Gardens, is because all summer long, community members share the care of these beds that provide healthy produce for neighbors in need.
The One Garden-One Week program, now in its FOURTH season offers local youth and families the opportunity to choose a garden site, pick the week of their choice, and be the gardens caretakers. A daunting task you say? Not so with the live civilly support staff right beside you the whole way! Garden Coordinator Toni Farmer, and gardening volunteers provide families a simple “how to” care for the gardens, even if you swear you don’t have a green thumb! With the step by step guide of how to care for the garden, as well as tutorials and hands on support, even the newest gardeners will find success in this one week volunteer program.
As you make your way down Camden Avenue, please take a look at the beautiful gardens that were cleaned out by our lovely Girl Scouts and the gorgeous beds that are now full to overflowing with Leonberg’s healthy soil. A special shout out to Mark & Will Easie and their parents as well as Tommy Bolt, Jack Goettle, Josh Horn and live civilly Co-Founder Anna Buss for the dirt that was moved and spread into beautiful, manageable beds.
This summer, these garden beds, in addition to the beds at the Upper Elementary School and Roberts Elementary will produce fresh vegetables that will be directed to the three food pantries here in town. As the gardens bloom, nutritious fresh produce will be made available to youth, families, seniors and those struggling with disabilities. Fresh produce is one of the many steps in helping individuals achieve a healthier lifestyle – the volunteer opportunities in the gardens make offer life skills that promote the sustainment of this lifestyle.
For more information about the One Garden One Week Program or any of the other live civilly volunteer programs that are available this summer, please visit our website at www.livecivilly.org and find the volunteer program that fits your style! Join the live civilly NATION of people helping people helping people helping people!!