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Community Gardens of Henry County is pleased to announce the receipt of a grant award for $3,500 from The Neighborhood Fund, an initiative of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. The grant will provide funding for two new gardens and provide assistance for communications, fundraising and marketing to Community Gardens. Glenda Garris, Executive Director of Community Gardens, stated that, “We are very excited to have been awarded this grant which will go a long way toward accomplishing our plans for additional gardens. And, the Neighborhood Fund’s support for our fundraising and marketing programs will be a significant factor in raising public awareness of our organization and mission.” Visit our website at www.henrygardens.com.

Contact:

Glenda Garris
Executive Director
Community Gardens of Henry County, Inc,
770-954-0000
communitygardens@bellsouth.net

Tieler Giles, Marketing and Communications Dept.
The Community Foundation

An AJC reporter Shane Blatt, recently interviewed me three times about community gardens. In the first interview he was vetting a story about a new community garden in Suwanee, in the second he was exploring general information about the larger community garden movement and by the third time we spoke he had really done due diligence. He'd spoken with many of the most impressive organizers of the most impressive community gardens in the great state of Georgia, including our own Glenda Garris.

Although I couldn't give him the exact quote he wanted about how the economy has influenced community gardens, the conversation brought out the significance of Community Gardens of Henry County. We talked about trends in community gardening, about new community gardens in Alpharetta, Dunwoody, Cumming, Conyers, Inman Park and Canton. A few years ago, almost all of the local community gardens were "ITP" as they say, Inside The Perimeter. And of all the new gardens OTP, years ahead of the others, was Community Gardens of Henry County, launched in 2003.

As cutting edge as that is, the more unique and powerful characteristic of Community Gardens of Henry County is that we formed a board and incorporated immediately to establish multiple garden sites in order to serve and engage a broader range of our community. Now with six gardens in six neighborhoods, we have a very diverse group of gardeners. With our new garden workshop series, we hope to include even more Henry County residents from even more walks of life.

The AJC reporter was looking at how the economy might have prompted more individuals to participate in a community garden in order to stretch their grocery budget a little. I think there probably are people and families in that category. What he forgot to ask is how the economy has effected charitable organizations that need to raise funds to create those gardening opportunities in the first place. It hasn't been an easy year, but with energetic and determined leadership from Glenda Garris, our Board members, and the generous support of the Henry Commission and residents, we've managed not only to maintain, but to grow.

Happy gardening,

Fred Conrad
Chair, Community Gardens of Henry County

April 10, 2010

Wesley Way United Methodist Church at 150 John Wesley Way is the site of the newest community garden. Community Gardens of Henry County and Wesley Way United Methodist Church have partnered to build the community garden and a plant-a-row care garden for food donations. The public is invited to celebrate Earth Day 2010 by participating in the inauguration of the new garden on Thursday, April 22 at 10:00 am. A brief program will be followed by volunteers helping with the installation of the first plants until 2:00 p.m.. .

Community Gardens of Henry County, established in 2003, has built and presently operates four community gardens and a plant-a-row care garden. The garden at Heritage Park is for seniors; the Hooten Street and Lewis Street Gardens are for residents of public housing communities; the Windy Hill garden is for families; and the Plant-A-Row Care garden at Cubihatcha is for donations of fresh vegetables to local charities that serve people in need. The new Wesley Way community garden, which is the largest, is for anyone who desires a plot – available first come/first served. And the new Wesley Way Plant-A-Row Care garden will grow the food donations program.

To volunteer or learn more about Community Gardens of Henry County visit the website at www.henrygardens.com.

Contact:
Glenda Garris, Executive Director
communitygardens@bellsouth.net
770-954-0000

Wesley Way UMC
770-898-3023