Our
experience with the Fort Community Garden was particularly unique. As we drove
into the town you could see the historic homes that lined the streets along the
waterfront. As we pulled up to our parking spot I felt a little bit anxious.
Karyn had mentioned how close and welcoming the community was during her trip
and the struggles they had gone through recently; so I was worried that we
wouldn’t have the same inspiring experience that she had. Any worries that I
had were immediately resolved when we were greeted by a warm hug from our
community partner’s mother.
There was a clear sense of
camaraderie and kinship in this community. Debbie, Jimmy, Jamie, Verona, and
others were so welcoming and encouraging of our efforts. I laughed harder at
this garden than anywhere else on the trip so far – with Debbie poking fun at
her cousin, Jimmy telling his famous stories, or Jamie joking around with the
group and telling us about Neptune’s Harvest. I immediately felt as though the
work we were doing was going to really help the community in a meaningful way.
This experience was very distinct in
that there wasn’t a very strict plan. The community partners had an idea of
what should be completed, but no specific plans of action. Although this was
unusual at first, I think we benefitted from having the opportunity to voice
our ideas and opinions, particularly for the group working on irrigation. We
may not have been working very efficiently but the end goal was that we used
our man power to serve this community in a way that they could begin their
gardening season, and they seemed very receptive and grateful for our help.
I think that this was one of my
favorite service trips thus far, not because the scenery or the people at the
other locations were less welcoming or interesting. Rather, I felt the work we
were doing was directly impacting the people in the community. We saw so many
of the individuals who would be utilizing the garden and this interaction made
this experience special. The community is very proud of their heritage, their
trade, and their people and to be a part of something that physically impacts
these people in a time of hardship was a rewarding experience. I think I felt
that most people agreed with this sentiment in reflection, and if anything
hoped that we could have done more work for this community.
- Kristi Dutta
No comments:
Post a Comment