Coordinator's Corner
Last Updated: 06/26/2009 11:21 AM
Coordinator’s Corner
February 2009
ELCMA’s Sustainable Living Campaign has drawn our organization into a new and
exciting venture.
ELCMA is embarking on a project we are calling Bonding Gardens. Four sites
(North Lima OH, Welch WV, Milton PA and Ashfield PA) are identifying 20 families
(each) with children and/or seniors who struggle to feed themselves throughout
each month. These families will be given the tools to start their own container
gardening. Then training will continue to teach preparation of the food grown.
Also preservation such as canning, freezing and dehydrating will be taught. In
addition composting and seed saving will be included in the curriculum.
Partnerships will be made with the cooperative extension agents and area
residents and merchants. In the second year, those who participated in year one
will be mentors to the next round of families. We are excited because we know
that more than food is raised. Self-esteem and life skills are both improved.
And, because families will spend time together working in the gardens, bonding
occurs here, too. Start up costs
are minimal with the involvement of the congregations and community.
Anyone who would be interested in doing something like this is welcome to
contact me at dory@elcma.org and we will
help you get started.