Its been a year since my church proposed developing a community garden. There were a lot of set backs, mostly financial. Just leveling the ground, removing what was there seemed a huge undertaking. Our vision began as a way to support our own congregation and the local community but this did not really feel the sustainable way to go. Also it felt very limited versus the amount of impact we really could do with this project. What really turned this around was when we started collaborating with Jewish organizations in the community and with Netiya, a social justice project sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles which tries to address hunger and help those that are food insecure. It was extremely powerful to work side by side each other with the same intention. The sun beat down, I was sweaty, dirty, and the happiest I could be! There is such power that cultivates when people are all passionate about the same thing and put the effort in. We spoke words of intention and had a little closing ceremony where we held our dirty hands into the circle, sharing our effort of the day. We also shared our feelings about the day. I am so excited to be part of this project. I feel like we are growing so much more than a garden. We are developing interfaith connections, connection with the community, and so much more. What is really amazing is that we will be dedicating 90% of the food we grow to local food banks and to those that are food insecure. This is social justice in action and I am so glad to be a part of it. Lets regain the land!
Please go to their site for more information about their mission and what they do! www.jewishla.org/pages/fed-up-with-hunger-netiya
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