Reaching out — volunteers working in Unity Garden on Saturday had to face the heat and humidity, which didn’t discourage them. -Linda Harris
STEUBENVILLE — It was hot because it was Saturday morning, so a devoted group responded to the call to work in Unity Gardens on Dock Street, removing weeds and ensuring that the plants were healthy. I didn’t go away.
“This year, our focus is to get people out, educate them about gardening, and try to motivate them to grow their food.” Organizer Justice Slappy said.
“Especially now gas prices are very high. This is a practical solution to combat hunger. We live in the food desert: downtown, the downtown area is fresh There is no place to get food. This is … a place where homeless and worst people can come not only to eat food, but also to come here and experience the frequencies of nature. “
Unity Garden is now in its 15th year and is open to everyone. Those looking for fresh food are also welcome if they are looking for a place to listen to birdsong and look back on their blessings.
“We strive to organize and structure it.” Slappy said. “We get plants from (local farmers), work and plant, but always open the garden. If someone wants to plant, if there is a plant and there is a place and space to put food, Yes, they can come in and plant. It’s really a community garden and a community effort. “
Today you can find everything from corn, cucumber pumpkins, peppers, vines, blueberries and raspberries to lemon balms, mint, herbs, chives, cherry trees, maple trees and all kinds of flowers and birds.
“All we want is to be educated about the plants here.” According to him, then no one chooses a watermelon before it ripens. “We are here, talking and teaching people.”
But along with a garden full of vegetables, Slappy thinks they are growing something else — just as important as he thinks.
“Apart from vegetables, we grow a community.” He said. “There are community members who call when something is happening, mow grass, care for cats and feed birds. There are community members who can help with us — this is very It’s a community that grows in. The sign you see (in front of the garden), “Return your neighbor to the hood.” Lacking the spirit of its neighbors, this is a place where people can come and talk and discuss very important topics.
Slappy said Unity Garden “It’s all about helping others become sustainable.” It was the focus they shared with the Urban Mission and Sycamore Center, and both groups volunteered at Saturday’s work session to help compare notes.
“We are joining together and trying to help them serve our community members.” Slappy said. “One of the things we want to do is encourage others to do this. If we can grow 30 or 40 people and replicate this process, it’s great for hunger here. I can influence. I have people on the list who not only want to grow, but also want to share (grow). “
Bobby John Baumann of the Sycamore Center “Gathering people to do something is as easy as gathering to put together a garden and repairing it.”
“Of course, you help the garden, but it’s also the unity we bring when people from a very diverse background work together on a common project, talk to each other, and get to know each other.” He said. “I think it was a real blessing. Also, people in the community can always get food. It’s an open garden.”
The fact that the garden has prospered for years speaks to volume, he adds.
“People appreciate what it means, what it means, and its purpose.” Baumann said. “They can avoid Unity Gardens, which aim to bring unity and provide food and assistance to people in the area in need (help). They always come in and get something. It was also a blessing. “
Jenna Edwards and Sala Stroop from the Sycamore Center also came to help. The pair applied for and was awarded a grant from Saab, Ohio to support the Unity Gardens and the Urban Mission Backyard Food Garden Center.
“It’s great to have food sources and places in downtown and be able to relax and be in nature.” As Edwards pointed out, the garden “provides free access to food for the citizens of Steubenville, so they get off and sit in the garden to enjoy nature and bring food to their families to take home. You can get it.
“This is just a peaceful place.”
Slappy pointed out that it was also a design. He said the garden was organized into a train station. “A place of prayer, a place of healing, a place of gratitude … all the different places that emphasize developing different aspects of yourself.”
“Anyone who participates in this will help.” He said. “A lot of different people are coming together, uniting and coming from all over the world to build unity. Yes, we are planting, but the biggest thing is that we are actually the spirit of the community. That’s all. When you come here, there are birds and you can smell the flowers … these are all absolutely necessary in our lives. The hustle and bustle of the world is very fast paced. So we lose ourselves in it. “
Slappy says more information on the Unity Garden project can be found online at teamunity740.org.
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