VISTA Corridor Flood Recovery
August 11, in the garden
August 11, 2008, Wellington Heights Neighborhood Garden.
AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) summer associates Cantana Boucher and Alice Rogers introduced a group of 18 children to a community garden in this southeast Cedar Rapids neighborhood.
Children toured the garden and were asked to guess what types of plants were growing there. Cantana and Alice explained the different types of produce growing there, read garden stories and sang songs. The group enjoyed nutritious feast featuring tomatoes, cucumbers and made-from-scratch chocolate cupcakes.
The goal? To get kids used to the garden so that they eat more produce.
For the past 14 years, neighborhood children have been invited to the garden weekly, but priorities changed after the mid-June record floods, Cantana said. August 11 was the only Summer 2008 gardening event.
Ten children told their flood stories -- how the flood impacted their families and how they can help others. Cantana put the stories together into a booklet.
"The kids are hungry for anything they had before (the flood). They're hungry for normalcy," Cantana said.
Wellington Heights is one of five neighborhoods in Central Cedar Rapids Weed & Seed.
AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) summer associates Cantana Boucher and Alice Rogers introduced a group of 18 children to a community garden in this southeast Cedar Rapids neighborhood.
Children toured the garden and were asked to guess what types of plants were growing there. Cantana and Alice explained the different types of produce growing there, read garden stories and sang songs. The group enjoyed nutritious feast featuring tomatoes, cucumbers and made-from-scratch chocolate cupcakes.
The goal? To get kids used to the garden so that they eat more produce.
For the past 14 years, neighborhood children have been invited to the garden weekly, but priorities changed after the mid-June record floods, Cantana said. August 11 was the only Summer 2008 gardening event.
Ten children told their flood stories -- how the flood impacted their families and how they can help others. Cantana put the stories together into a booklet.
"The kids are hungry for anything they had before (the flood). They're hungry for normalcy," Cantana said.
Wellington Heights is one of five neighborhoods in Central Cedar Rapids Weed & Seed.
Who wants to eat a cucumber?
Four-year-old Asa Pledge, above, seems mighty proud of the fat cucumber he found in the Wellington Heights Neighborhood community garden on August 11. But, when cucumber sandwiches were passed around, Asa passed on actually eating one.
The children, including Armon Pledge, 7, don't have any reservations about trying homemade chocolate cupcakes.
AmeriCorps VISTA member Alice Rodgers tastes fresh tomatoes with pesto.
AmeriCorps VISTA member Cantana Boucher, standing, read four garden-themed stories to the 18 children who enjoyed the outdoor party. Fellow summer associate Alice Rogers enjoys the story.
Cantana Boucher found books as big as the great outdoors.
Angel Pledge, 6, was one of 10 children to tell "My Historic Flood Story" to the group.
Trev Boucher, 8, doesn't mind sitting in the middle of the garden to enjoy a snack and stories.
Four-year-old Asa Pledge, above, seems mighty proud of the fat cucumber he found in the Wellington Heights Neighborhood community garden on August 11. But, when cucumber sandwiches were passed around, Asa passed on actually eating one.
The children, including Armon Pledge, 7, don't have any reservations about trying homemade chocolate cupcakes.
AmeriCorps VISTA member Alice Rodgers tastes fresh tomatoes with pesto.
AmeriCorps VISTA member Cantana Boucher, standing, read four garden-themed stories to the 18 children who enjoyed the outdoor party. Fellow summer associate Alice Rogers enjoys the story.
Cantana Boucher found books as big as the great outdoors.
Angel Pledge, 6, was one of 10 children to tell "My Historic Flood Story" to the group.
Trev Boucher, 8, doesn't mind sitting in the middle of the garden to enjoy a snack and stories.
