In Fall 2014, Emily Reeves, Director of Youth Activities at the Presbyterian Church of the Roses (Santa Rosa), reached out to the Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative simply wanting to learn more about the organization and ways to become more involved. After meeting with the Collaborative’s team members to brainstorm ways Church of the Roses could connect with the Collaborative, Emily and Reverend Dr. Cynthia Alloway felt that a community garden would be a great addition to the wonderful work the Church is already engaged in. Church of the Roses has been successfully operating a breakfast program that provides free, nutritious breakfast for students of Montgomery High School every school day for the past 15 years.
Reeves and Rev. Alloway attended the Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative’s 3rd Annual Conference, “Congregations Cultivating Local Food Access”, where they learned and received resources on how congregations can go beyond canned food drives to provide regular access to fresh food. Feeling inspired, the two then invited the Collaborative to discuss the future community garden project with congregants and lay leaders from various church committees. It wasn’t long after this meeting until the Church of the Roses Community Garden was created.
Leaders from the Church’s Buildings & Grounds Committee, Church & World Committee, the surrounding Patio Court neighborhood, and other congregants came together to acquire the materials and labor needed. Everything was donated including compost from Sonoma Compost through the company’s sponsorship of the Collaborative’s 3rd Annual Conference.
Soon, the garden was producing more fruits and vegetables than the Church knew what to do with. The Church then began donating produce to Worth Our Weight, a non-profit that provides tuition-free culinary and food service training apprenticeships for young people facing major challenges in their lives. The Church also donates its garden-fresh produce to families of children who attend the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Rosa.
The greater community has also taken notice of the new garden and is reaping the benefits: neighbors in need can harvest food from the garden at no cost; local high school students see the garden everyday on their way to breakfast and some have even encouraged their families to become involved. When asked about the garden’s effect on the community and the community’s response to the garden, Rev. Alloway says, “The development of the Community Garden…has been a wonderful experience for us and for our community!” She adds, “All in all, this garden has succeeded in connecting us closer to our surrounding community and reaped wonderful veggies for our church members in need as well.”
With such strong support and bountiful community partnerships, the community garden at the Presbyterian Church of the Roses goes beyond growing food as it cultivates community bonds that can be harvested year after year.