On Sat., May 15 Horizon kids aged four and up and all interested adults are invited to pitch in at Our Saviour Community Garden in East Dallas! This Heifer International-affiliated garden provides plots for food-insecure families and fresh produce for food banks in North Texas.
Gardeners at Our Saviour uphold the Heifer principle of "Passing on the Gift" by tending special plantings and setting aside excess harvests for the hungry. The first six months of 2009 alone yielded 3,102 lbs of local, nutritious food donations!
Horizon visitors will gather at church at 9 a.m., caravan to Our Saviour, split into groups to tour the garden, attend an age-appropriate presentation, and lend a hand in the communal plots. Though volunteers will break at 12 p.m. for a picnic lunch, Our Saviour would love the extra help of volunteers willing to stay longer.
Parents must sign permission forms to allow their children to participate and have their pictures taken. Because Our Saviour relies on donations, the Social Action Committee suggests that adults contribute $5 per participant.
Visitors can expect to harvest leafy greens (or whatever is ready!), feed compost to worms, feed chickens, pick herbs, and help out however else they can. The garden also welcomes gifts of hand tools, one-quart canning jars, gently used wheelbarrows, and compost fodder (coffee grounds, food scraps, etc.)
Horizon has helped Heifer "give the gift that keeps on giving" on a global scale—here’s a chance to help it give the gift locally. Contact Katie Barnes at katiebarnes@swbell.net to learn more and reserve a spot. See you at the garden!