Community Garden

Hello,

The other day I walked to the garden after Leroy had already gotten there. On the way I met a group of about four kids and maybe one adult. They had two plastic bags on their arms that looked like they contained produce. I felt hopeful and pleased to think that they might have gotten that from the garden. When I got to the garden, Leroy said that a family had gotten some things. My joy was complete. I am always surprised at how little people take. Leroy urged them to take more and offered more possibilities. On the way home from the garden we had quite a lot of lettuce to give away. One woman took just a small amount, but sounded like she might go over and pick some, especially when we told her that it was getting to the end of good flavor and it would have to be cut off. At another house we stopped only to have the man say, “It should go to someone who needs it more than I do.”

We argued unsuccessfully with him. I can tell you that his house does not look as if he lives at the top or maybe even the middle of the economic heap. Once in a while I get the impression that people believe poor people are always out for all they can get or are grabbing and expecting handouts. I can say from experience that many of the neighbors here are not that way as they seem to be careful to take just a little. Our garden does not have a fence around it so anyone could come in and harvest a great deal, but I seldom can tell that someone else has been there. If I do notice it is that they took a head of cabbage as that is an all or none proposition. One woman told another neighbor who was working in the garden that she and her children ate from the garden and were well fed because of it. We have not had as much help as sometimes. That is discouraging, but these things make it all worth it. We do not know who we are helping, but maybe that is for the best. I just always pray that someone who needs it will come and find it.

Paula