Hi, Folks!
Here's what we did with our Saturday. In April, USA Weekend used one of
our photos from last year's "Make A Difference Day" to promote this year's
event. Maybe they will feature us again.
Speaking of featuring folks, anyone catch Adam's quotes in the latest issue
of OG on "Guerilla Gardening"?
Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden
A mission of
St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460
"Make A Difference Day
2002"
at St. John's United Church of
Christ Organic Community Garden
Phoenixville, PA
St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden provides free
garden plots to anyone who agrees to garden organically and make the
Biblical Tithe (10%) of their harvest to someone less fortunate. The garden
is the primary source of in-season fresh produce for Phoenixville Area
Community Services' (PACS) food bank and is an heirloom/rare/native plant
repository for Seed Savers Exchange.
"Make a Difference Day," after the fall harvest, is the perfect day to ask
folks to help us help our gardeners so that they can feed the hungry in
Phoenixville during the growing season. This year, we focused on creating
a new 50 foot square formal herb garden and digging a water line so that
our gardeners can water more efficiently during droughts.
We offered six work stations ranging from great effort (clearing brush and
digging a water line) to medium effort (preparing the ground for the new
herb garden and planting perennials) to little effort (weeding our fruit,
flower and herb gardens) to encourage as many folks to visit the garden as
possible.
To encourage volunteers to talk to each other, regardless of their "work
station," and to add a natural (and necessary, considering the work we ask
folks to do!) break to the day, we asked local businesses to donate lunch
and other necessities. Our sponsors included:
Exterior Structures, Unlimited: wheelbarrows and tools
Sear's Hardware: gardening gloves
TD Alfredo's Pizzeria: 10 large pizzas
Papa John's Pizza: 10 large pizzas
Kimberton Whole Foods: natural sodas
Panera Bakery: breads and pastries
64 people, ranging in age from 4 to 74 years old and of all local ethnic
groups, joined our gardeners for the day, including the following
organizations:
Mitchell (community garden) Program of St. Gabriel's Hall (juvenile hall)
Chester County Juvenile Probation Department -- Community Service Project
Abbe Society, West Chester University
Junior Girl Scout Troop 445
Cub Scout Pack 98
Next year, our new herb garden will rise where before there was only trash
and weeds. The new water line will help our gardeners water their plants
more efficiently during droughts. But more immediately, these very
different groups, from very different walks of life, have enjoyed coming
together for a common purpose so much that our Spring and Fall Work Days
are now permanent fixtures on their calendars.
We're making a difference in Phoenixville - on "Make A Difference Day" and
throughout the year by feeding the hungry, building community and creating
floral beauty from formerly empty, abandoned space.
______________________________________________________
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