Community Garden « Communities First Association

Bethany Housing Resident Models “Good Neighbor”

August 1, 2011 Leave a comment

Kimi Zimmerman – Community enCompass

Theresa’s story is exciting to me because it accomplishes exactly what I think ABCD is all about. It opens the door for all neighbors to give what they have been given to make a difference in a community…one life at a time. What a story of hope! and doing life together! and love for our neighbor. Theresa was given hope when a community believed in her and worked with her and made room for her to become more of who God intended her to be and in turn we are watching her do the same in the lives of the children around her.

Theresa Higdon is an everyday hero who understands the value of neighbors working together to achieve great things. Even while she strives to move forward with her life, she works hard to accomplish great things in our community. Theresa became a member of the McLaughlin community when she entered our Bethany Transitional Housing Program after a number of homeless episodes. She progressed to the point of becoming part of our Home Ownership Program and is currently leasing with the option to purchase her home while she continues to work on repairing her credit.

Shalimar Community Garden

January 7, 2011 Leave a comment

The neighbors of Shalimar have planted their first community garden! Shalimar’s Neighborhood Action Committee (NAC), Comunidad Unida have been working with local experts to move forward on their project.

Land was donated from one of the apartment owners, neighbors contributed funds, and project leaders rallied the troops. As of Wednesday, May 19th the garden has been planted!Stop by the Shalimar Park to check it out!

http://www.mikacdc.org/

Filed under General Stories, Stories Tagged with Community Garden, Shalimar Community, West

Shalimar Community Garden

August 6, 2010 Leave a comment

http://www.mikacdc.org/

Filed under General Stories, Stories Tagged with Communidad Unida, Community Garden, Shalimar, West

Community Garden Brings a Sense of Pride

February 15, 2010 Leave a comment

“Our neighborhood is one of the most violent in the City of New Orleans. I would have never thought, in a million years, that our neighborhood would have a community garden. ” These are the words of Leonidas neighborhood resident, Mr. Lyndell Jones, after he distributed the vegetables on “Harvest Day.”

On October 18th, the Leonidas community members held its first “Harvest Day”, to distribute food grown in their garden. The idea of the garden generated when the youth and young adult ministries of St. John’s Baptist Church surveyed the community and identified that their was a high rate of diabetes and poor physical health conditions.

Wondering what could they do? They researched and discovered that a community garden had numerous benefits from the production of fresh vegetables that promote a healthy diet to increased exercise to an enhanced sense of community.

The youth and young adults ask St. John Baptist Church pastor, Rev. Donald Boutte, for a small plot of the land in the back of the church, and they went to work. They focused on the aesthetics first, by cleaning up the land and planting a few flowers. Gradually, other neighbors began helping by laying out boxes and caring for the space. “We all begin to learn how to start plants from seeds, as well as, how to transplant vegetables,” mentioned Mr. Jones. “We even began to socialize more, as we worked.”

The community members selected the plants and vegetables for the garden. They planted squash, peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers. As the crop grew, the youth and young adults began to reach out to the people they surveyed and offered them the first opportunity for vegetables.

This generated into “Harvest Day” for the community. People from throughout the community came to celebrate the work that had been done. Together they picked vegetables, placed them into the bins, and delivered them. Pastor Boutte commented,” This garden has given us a sense of pride. I believe this garden is going to be the start of working together on other issues in our community.”

Filed under General Stories, Stories Tagged with Community Garden, New Orleans, South, St. John Baptiste Church

Becoming the Teacher

July 26, 2009 Leave a comment

by Bethany Dudley

Overwhelmed: This is what many refugees feel as they try and understand the new culture they are in. When you are new to a country you are continually in the role of student, having to relearn everything from how to dress for the weather to how to cook. Constantly being in the student role can be draining, frustrating and sometimes humiliating.

These are common feelings amongst the Napoli and Burmese refugees in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Recognizing this, Neighbors United for New Possibilities has asked the Napoli and Burmese refugees to join with them in their community garden. The local high school has donated some land in front of the school to be used for a community garden to grow not only flowers, but produce as well.

AmeriCorps worker Lindsey Verkaik has been developing relationships with local members of the community and NPO groups to develop this garden. Lindsey told me a story about working in the garden on Saturday saying, “I was talking to one of the Catholic Social Services volunteers and they shared that for the refugees this is a chance for them to do something that comes naturally to them as well as a time when they can teach instead of being taught. It was rewarding and pride-building for them to teach someone else and therapeutic to be doing something that they are good at. For us it was great because each time we plant they teach us something new!”

Relationships are growing along with the plants in this garden as the refugees are able to teach the other residents, both young and old, about gardening. The fruit of this harvest will be plentiful!

Filed under General Stories, Stories Tagged with Community Garden, refugees