KindnessGirl.com: Simple Way to Love: McDonough Community Garden

I am starting to wonder if it isn’t the simplest ways of connection that hold the greatest hope for change and good. Take the McDonough Community Garden for instance.

The garden that brought all of this together, located at 3300 McDonough Street in Richmond's Southside, is what the USDA would consider a food desert, or an area that has limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables. — The garden that brought all of this together, located at 3300 McDonough Street in Richmond’s Southside, is what the USDA would consider a food desert, or an area that has limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

One man — Duron Chavis — knew deep in his soul and body that growing something green could bring us together and care for our most basic needs that every human deserves.

One woman — Maat Free — believed sharing salad could heal us and bring life. One family — Culture4mykids — an organization dedicated to providing artistic outlets for local youth, allied in the rhythm of an ancient goodness with drums.

And for one sweaty Richmond night, everyone came together and none of it felt so complicated. The evening was simple, just a gathering of people in a community garden, eating salad, while kids gave wagon rides and took turns watering the plants.

The goal of the project is to promote food security, community building and horticultural therapy.

Nearby a neighbor enjoyed an impromptu photography lesson and another financial advice, while others that had no plans at all somehow found their way out of their houses to listen to the drums.
Growth, food, and community are the simplest ways to love. The garden that brought all of this together, located at 3300 McDonough Street in Richmond’s Southside, is what the USDA would consider a food desert, or an area that has limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Richmond resident Duron Chavis set out to address this problem by setting up a simple structure cable of feeding neighbors as well as bringing them together. Duron, who has developed a teen youth program called Growing Up to teach urban agriculture, teamed up with Maat Free to launch a fundraiser for the the garden and supplies so that the garden could run off of solar power. Designed as a low cost, high impact project, in one evening I witnessed first hand the difference it can make in the Greater Richmond community.

The goal of the project is to promote food security, community building and horticultural therapy. In a month Duran applied this concept to a vacant lot and effectively turned it into a 50-foot community garden. This kind of success should come as no surprise, as Duran has made similar strides as the coordinator for Richmond Noir Market, a Saturday farmers market servicing low income communities with access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables.

By running a special 20 pounds for $20 promotion, Duran is working to connect black farmers to areas that have limited access to quality produce.

By pulling neighbors together, Duran and Matt have planted something that will continue to grow. I’m thankful they included me. You can read about their progress at the McDonough Community Garden Blog.