Friends and Family Generational Garden

By Hendrick Bossers

The Friends and Family Generational Garden Project in Pittsburgh was started April 30, 2014 when Alissa, Nasim, Dante, Alg and Kathy cleared a rough 20 foot by 40 foot space to start a garden for the summer. Grandparents, parents and children wondered how much of a harvest could result if they worked the rough ground. The ground was wilderness.

They applied to the Pittsburgh SDOP Committee for better garden tools and funding for seeds. The community’s grandparents, parents and children kept working through the summer.

During the Pittsburgh Presbytery SDOP Committee’s site visit, the members  were impressed by the energy of the children as they continued to keep working. The children wanted to start eating their produce, while the parents tried to install more patience and enduring persistence. The produce grows only as fast as was designed by nature and our gracious God. These inner city children are growing up in the Braddock Hills of Pittsburgh. They know about grocery stores not so much about farms. They are experiencing that food grows slowly, yet steadily. This becomes a valuable lesson.

Community Garden in Pittsburgh partially funded by SDOP.

“The funds requested will assist us in purchasing a year round green house, seeds, plants, fence, debris removal, and education,” the grandparents reported. “A collective garden follows the premise of “all for one harvest and one harvest for all,” where everyone contributes their efforts to one large garden from which everyone shares the harvest.  Therefore, it is imperative that all participants (parents, grandparents and children) who are part of the garden give at least two hours per project.  Our current projects are debris removal, building of natural barriers, digging/turning dirt and building a fence.”

Hendrick Bossers serves as chairperson of the Pittsburgh Presbytery SDOP Committee.

Are you a member of a group of low-income persons working on issues of importance to you and your community, will working on these issues result in long-term positive change? Are you in need of financial assistance?  Contact SDOP at (502) 569-5782. We would welcome talking with you and possibly hosting a community workshop in your area.