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Community Gardens |
The Food Bank Garden~
The Food Bank has been a core program of our organization for over
10 years. Each year we see an increase in the need for food and
adequate supply of healthy food is always our issue. In 2008, staff
and volunteers began to take advantage of the garden space available
at our location and planted chard, tomatoes, kale, berries and other
easy to grow fresh food to supplement the Food Bank. Last summer the
bounty of the garden was so robust we were able to offer enough
fresh vegetables every week for nearly 4 months to the 100+
recipients at the Food bank. This is a showcase project for many
Food Banks.
The Dragon Garden~
In the spring of 2009 we developed a very successful seniors “Dragon
Garden”; a garden suitable for seniors who can no longer garden
independently but want to continue a healthy outdoor activity. With
over 25 seniors participating and over 50 community volunteers, we:
• Developed a project advisory committee of 12 seniors
• Recruited volunteers for 27 work parties to build 5 raised beds
• Hosted 10 garden tours plus 2 school tours
• Planted all beds with food and some flowers
• Constructed one arbor and one bench
• Took seniors on 3 field trips
• 964 volunteer hours were record of which 814 were seniors
Kids In The Garden~
The purpose of the Kids in the Garden Program is to bring children
together in an inter-generational environment to participate in
gardening activities that will foster an awareness of and respect
for the natural environment and its impact on human lives. It is a
program that will teach children basic gardening skills and
knowledge of how food is grown. The purpose is also to introduce the
idea of food security and the knowledge that not everyone always has
enough to eat and to this end a row of food will be offered to PHC
Food Bank.
“It is impossible for a child to work in a garden without tuning themselves to certain universal laws…while they are grubbing in the earth, stirring the soil untiringly so as to let in the moisture and the air, nature’s secrets are sinking deep into their hearts.”
Dora Williams From Gardens and Their Meaning, 1922.
The Client Education Garden ~ Maegen's
Garden
At PHC we are always looking for ways to build job skills,
demonstrate self sufficiency and help with community integration
with our clientele. This year we have developed a garden project
where our clients are engaged from planning to planting to
harvesting. This is a certificate program led by Master Gardens.
Participants will learn financial literacy skills (helping to budget
the project and weigh and value the harvest), basic building
experience in constructing the raised beds and organic “square foot”
gardening expertise. In order to earn the certificate, participants
must complete the 6 month course. The goal of the program is to help
participants learn the value of growing their own nutritious food,
and hopefully help them gain the confidence to start up a small
gardening co-op to assist other Gabriolan's with their gardening
needs.
Poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue; it is hard for an empty bag to stand upright ~ Benjamin Franklin
