When I started The Giving Gardens over five years ago, I had a vision of diverse communities coming together through the common goal of keeping our planet green.
After all of these years, it finally happened and I feel as if I received an Earth Day gift one day early! On Wednesday of this week, fifteen volunteers ages 11-15 from Girls Inc. visited Lakeside Elementary, the Mother Garden of The Giving Gardens program, to garden with our students and parents. Girls Inc. is a division of the YWCA of west central Michigan with a mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. I’m all about both of those ideas, so I say: “Yeah! Let’s get dirty and see how we can make a difference, together!!!”
Our goal for the day was spring cleaning of the garden beds so that Lakeside’s plants could be easily identified, divided and Planted-Forward to our installation site for this year, the Grand Rapids Public Museum. When they heard where the plants were headed, they were excited about the possibility of working together, once again, at the installation. I can’t wait!
Young women from Girls Inc.(YWCA) volunteering to help maintain The Mother Garden at Lakeside.
The young women who helped us hopefully met a new friend that they wouldn’t have otherwise; gained some practical gardening knowledge; and each received a piece of Lakeside’s garden to take home with them (the flowering branches engulfing me in the photo above). I’ve asked them to think of a Giving Garden installation that we could work on near the YWCA or in their neighborhoods. I hope we get to return the favor and work with them once again to keep our planet green.
We did it! LtoR: Lakeside’s PTA, Cub Scouts, Green Team, Student Counsel, Gardening Students, me and our new friends from Girls Inc.!!
Yay! I love it when the stars align!!
Happy Earth Day
You must be logged in to post a comment.