Growing Community Garden
Our Mission: The mission of the Growing Community Garden is to provide a foraging garden where people cooperate in growing food, growing community, and growing in love.
Our Values:
Collaborative Community – Working as a team to cultivate land, food, and strong loving relationships, knowing that we are greater together as we build community.
Justice – Fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Education – Teaching and learning to expand the reach of nature’s capacity.
Radical Hospitality – Nurturing and sharing earth’s bounty with respect, dignity, and compassion for all.
Our Vision:
Our vision as a collaborative community garden is to cultivate a safe and welcoming space that serves as a beacon of hope and justice. Here, we aim to be both givers and receivers, learners and teachers. Beyond growing fresh food, our garden seeks to be a hub of people, connections, opportunities, and ideas.
Garden Co-Manager
| HOST: Growing Community Garden, 2800 Gull Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49048 Growing Community Garden is an outreach to food insecure households primarily on the east side of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The garden outreach is a 2+ acre plot inviting area households to “forage” as needed to help bridge fresh, nutritious food insecurity gaps during the growing season. The garden is also a place for volunteer application of gardening skills and a place for people of all ages to come for rest, reflection, inspiration or recreation. Website: growingcommunitygardenkzoo.com Facebook: Growing Community Garden |
| GROWING COMMUNITY GARDEN VOLUNTEER |
| SUPERVISOR: David Newhouse, Volunteer Garden Co-Manager Pastordavid.bumc@gmail.com Ph/Txt: 847.263.8621 WhatsApp (847.263.8621) SUPERVISOR: Rev. Bobette Hampton, Volunteer Garden Co-Manager [Currently on medical leave.] |
| GENERAL OVERVIEW of JOB DESCRIPTION: Volunteer service in the Growing Community Garden is open to all persons with no requirement of religious affiliation or other identity. Minors (under age 18) must be accompanied by parental supervision or be supervised and under liability authority of an external sponsoring organization (insurance documents must be placed on file with the garden.) Garden volunteers are welcome at all times, with particular focus on times when there are garden team attendants present or when arrangements have been made with garden team attendants. There are tasks that fit with any level of physical capacity, though many tasks are best suited to some physical exertion and some require strength and endurance. Garden volunteers must be familiar with “Safe Place” policies toward due diligence in keeping all spaces safe where contact with vulnerable persons (children, youth, aged, those with handicapping conditions, etc.) occurs, thus doing good and no harm for all persons. |
| MAIN EXPECTATIONS OF GARDEN VOLUNTEERS: Garden service activities should be during daylight hours, between 7:00am and 8:00pm. Volunteers can receive orientation and introduction to garden care opportunities (including availability of safety resources, tools and equipment, and detailed guidance) from garden managers or other designated garden attendants/ambassadors. Volunteers are urged to register any service visit to the garden with name, organization represented (if any), contact information (not required but helpful to keep informed about garden events, activities, and notifications,) beginning time and total time per visit, and summary of tasks completed upon departure. If attendants are present, they may assist with these important record-keeping tasks. Maintain healthy and safe practices throughout any activity in the Growing Community Garden and be aware of others in the garden to support each other in maintaining healthy, safe practices and context for volunteer services. Be aware of First Aid resources and procedures, including informing any Growing Community Garden attendant immediately when any health or safety incident occurs. |
| POSSIBLE VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES (BUT NOT LIMITED TO😊 Weeding is the most prevalent and always essential element of gardening, from general removal of weeds in spaces between plantings to tedious weeding in planting rows or clusters. Requests for guidance in identifying “weeds” vs intended garden plantings are always welcome! All removed weeds must be placed in the designated compost piles. Weeding may be done by hand (with gloves recommended), with small trowels, with scuffle hoes, or other tools as determined. Other tasks vary widely: applying soil amendments (e.g. manure or organic fertilizer) seeding crops inputting plants applying ground cover and mulch setting up plant support structures (tomato cages, cattle panels for cucumbers, peas, black-eyed peas, pole beans, etc.) irrigation (watering) tasks assistance with harvesting mature crops mowing garden green spaces painting or sealing especially wood structures or signage assistance with modest construction projects landscaping and beautification of the garden setting labeling/informational posts by plantings distribution of produce assisting with communication systems and postings (social media, web site, flyers, media announcements, presentations, etc.) tool and machine maintenance expertise and assistance general organization of shed storage spaces and distribution spaces anything else that helps maintain the health and safety of the garden and makes it successful in its mission to bridge the food insecurity gap for any household that can access the garden. |
