In the Summer of 2021 and 2022, the Open Door Project developed the Community Revitalization Initiative. During this time, the Open Door Project partnered with teachers and local artists to create Pine Grove’s first community garden and its very own mural. This initiative was created to encourage community participation, to assist children in developing ownership for the wellbeing of their town, and to create a sense of hope and light in the community. By tending to a growing garden and having Free Produce for the Community Members, students learned about the positive feedback of working towards the common good of their community and sharing their harvest with others.
The Community Garden and the Open Door Project continue to partner and host a summer program at the Community Garden that reaches approximately fifty students each Summer. Lessons focus on how to properly plant seeds and harvest produce, identifying positive and needed elements in the garden’s ecosystem, and the importance of pollinators. Crafts and activities are also apart of each lesson to reinforce the importance of taking care of the Earth and ourselves!
