Sunday, June 14, 2015

Day 3: Fort Community Garden

         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


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