I have always had a great passion for helping kids be successful and giving them hope in their lives. Equally, I really enjoy gardening and the rewards I receive from growing my own food. I got my break when an individual named Bruce, director of an Urban Harvest Program, recommended me for a job at an Urban Mission Center. This was my dream job – and I got it!

An organization called PUM (Presbyterian Urban Missions) has a program that helps challenged children with their schooling. This program helps children with math, reading, and writing. The number one goal is helping these kids stay ahead in school. But it’s the other part of the program that excites me, too. They have created a very practical learning experience by creating a productive food garden out of an old parking lot. This garden includes raised beds for produce, a small green house for starting plants, and even a worm-composting bin. My thrill is that I am the one who gets to work with these kids helping them learn where food comes from and how to raise food they can eat – right out of the garden!

It is amazing what these kids have learned. Before they came here, most would not eat any kind of green leafy vegetable, but once they became part of the process and they actually could see the plants grow and mature from seeds they had planted, they found joy in eating all kinds of produce. And they even ask for more! PUM and I are not only helping these kids with their grades, but we’re also helping them to become healthier and have a feel for where food comes from. We have fun, too. Read below!

We were given some watermelon in late July, so we had a watermelon feast. That followed with a seed-spitting contest. Seeds went everywhere and many of them sprouted and came up. The kids were so excited thinking they would raise some more melons to eat. They didn’t realize that it was too late in the season for watermelons to grow and ripen. A few plants did put on a few small melons about the size of a plum. One of the volunteers thought of a trick to play on the kids, so he bought a mature melon and hooked it to the plant making it look like it was ready to pick. The next day when the kids saw that watermelon, they went wild. There was no doubt in their minds that their watermelon plant had actually produced that melon! What fun! Now we have to let the kids know we don’t have to have a seed-spitting contest to grow watermelons!

I am so grateful. I have my dream job with great kids, and I get to work with these kids in our garden. I thank Bruce for recommending me, and I thank Urban Mission for thinking enough of me to include me in their program.

Josh
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