FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 27, 2015
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North Hempstead Partners with Sustainable L.I. for Community Garden Workshop at “Yes We Can”
North Hempstead, NY – Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the Town of North Hempstead Board partnered with Sustainable Long Island (SLI) for a Community Garden Workshop at the Town’s “Yes We Can” Community Center in New Cassel this week. Senior citizens and youth who attend the Center’s summer recreation program all volunteered their time to attend the workshop and to construct five raised gardens and landscape the surrounding area. Funding for the workshop came from Bank of America and New York Community Bank Foundation grants.
“The Community Garden Workshop is such a unique opportunity for seniors and young people to work together to learn about gardening and sustainability,” said Supervisor Bosworth. “We are very grateful to the members of Sustainable Long Island and the Bank of America and the New York Community Bank Foundation for making it possible.”
“These raised gardens are a wonderful complement to the ‘Yes We Can’ Community Center and its mission,” said Councilwoman Viviana Russell. “It also gives people who live in apartments a chance to have a garden and learn how to grow fresh, healthy produce.”
SLI worked with dozens of volunteers from the Community Center and the nearby Magnolia Gardens Apartments and gave instruction on how to construct the five raised 4-ft. x 4-ft. garden beds and plant cold-weather vegetables. The group of volunteers also attended a workshop to learn some gardening basics. SLI supplied the construction materials and oversight, as well as light snacks and beverages for the volunteers.
The garden is located on the available portion of green space adjacent to the parking lot on the southeast side of the “Yes We Can” Community Center (141 Garden Street in New Cassel) and was originally intended for a garden when the building was first constructed.
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Supervisor Bosworth with members of the Magnolia Gardens Apartments.
Councilwoman Russell and Supervisor Bosworth pitch in to help build a garden.