The Year 2 REACH grant community garden training site at the Capitol Heights United Methodist Church in Montgomery is located near many of the REACH census tracts. As a result, the church puts a lot of energy into reaching the neighborhoods that surround them. Capitol Heights UMC’s efforts are setting a standard for what it means to conduct community outreach in support of a program like REACH. Some of the examples of their work have been reported by EAT South below:
- Pastor Geoffrey, the pastor at Capitol Heights UMC, spends a few hours each week going door to door and handing out flyers. He says this has created a great opportunity to meet people throughout Capitol Heights and surrounding communities.
- The garden’s water comes from a neighbor who lives next to the garden. The church has collaborated with the Capitol Heights Neighborhood Association to reimburse the neighbor for any extra charges on his water bill.
- One of the members in charge of evening watering reported, “I was coming to water one evening and saw a couple picking the produce. I got out of my car and they started to run away, thinking they were in trouble. I got their attention and let them know that’s what the garden was for! They were so happy to learn they could come out and do their ‘grocery shopping’ in their neighborhood and have fresh food to eat.” The garden committee has since coordinated with a local design firm to create a sign for their garden that will have information encouraging the community to enjoy the produce at their leisure.
- Every Thursday the church has someone hand out the harvest to anyone that comes by. They ask for donations if people have the means but make sure everyone knows the produce is free. Any donations received go toward garden maintenance.
The Capitol Heights Community Garden is a true example of a community coming together to make something work, make it sustainable, and make sure it impacts the ones who need it most. For more on the garden’s progress, follow the garden Facebook page.