By Dan Nonte, University Relations
Contact: 336-334-4314
Posted 4-13-11
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Faculty and students from the Department of Communication Studies have teamed up with Greensboro nonprofit Urban Harvest to hold a community garden festival 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 16.
The North Yanceyville Community Garden invites the public – especially young people, ages 5-25, and youth-oriented organizations – to help build the new garden on the property of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, 3910 N. Yanceyville St., Greensboro.
Free and open to the public, this National Youth Service Day event will feature prizes, garden activities, cooking lessons, arts and crafts, and snacks.
“We see food as an essential element to building stronger communities, not to mention stronger bodies, and we want to help people reconnect to real, healthy food,” said Dawn Leonard, executive director of Urban Harvest. Founded in 2009, Urban Harvest works with community and faith-based organizations to promote urban food production, as well as distribution and education.
Urban Harvest was contacted earlier this year by Tom and Mary Ellen Droppers from the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit. The Droppers wanted to transform the small garden space next to their church into a place for the entire community to grow, harvest and eat food.
“The ability of people to be communities, supporting and sustaining each other, especially in the task of growing food, will be crucial for survival; no better time to start than now,” Tom Droppers said.
In addition to working in the garden, youth groups can plan projects and apply for Youth Ecological Stewardship grants (YES) from Environmental Stewardship Greensboro. For more information, contact Dawn Leonard at 336-239-4142 or Tom Droppers at 336-855-7331.
This project has been made possible with support from UNCG’s Office of Leadership and Service Learning and Office of Undergraduate Research through their Community Based Research Grant program, as well as Youth Service America and United Health through their United Health Heroes Grant.
