Alliance Medical Ministry's 4th Spring Garden Launch focused on community building and celebrating the Community Garden space, connecting different communities that participate and share in the garden, including volunteers, patients, and neighbors.
We welcomed 58 individuals to Alliance's Community Garden. Volunteers tackled key garden projects, including planting 32 tomato plants, harvesting radishes, watering lettuces, and mulching around our newly-constructed hoop house. Thanks to volunteers from Boy Scout Troop #395 from White Memorial Presbyterian and Edenton Street Missional Community for lending your hands!
In connecting the various stakeholders who utilize, benefit from, and work in our Community Garden, we work toward reaching goals set out in the Nutrition Hub Pilot Project with the Raleigh Food Corridor. Through the Nutrition Hub initiative, Alliance's Community Garden serves as a centralized community space to provide nutrition, health, and food-related services and education in a single location.
Our partner agency the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education was on-site, leading the kids in educational and exercise games.
Alliance Senior Physician Dr. Sheryl Joyner led patients and volunteers in a 1.3 mile Walk with a Doc, kicking off the walk with a talk on the benefits of walking, including helping with weight loss, reducing blood pressure, and improving mental health. Many patient participants are currently enrolled in the Million Step Challenge!
Wellness partner You Call this Yoga's Elise Dorsett taught a yoga class in the garden, including a diverse group of patients, volunteers, and children.
Many attendees painted mosaic tiles, which will be placed on our bulletin board to commemorate the launch.
After a morning of exercise and garden work, a healthy meal was shared by all!
