Children at The Salvation Army Purdue Center of Hope celebrated gathering the first vegetables from their community garden.
Fresh lettuce went straight to the shelter kitchen for a healthful supper while children turned the soil to prepare for spring’s new seeds.
Provided by grants from the Junior League of Memphis and the Tennessee Farm Bureau, the garden is designed to promote healthy lifestyle choices. During the growing cycle, nutrition and exercise classes will reinforce the hands-on learning.
In late summer, Preservation Property Services installed manageable-sized garden boxes, just in time for fall vegetables. After this first harvest, residents are already planning their spring crops.
Three shelter programs at the Purdue Center of Hope provide safety, security and transitional time to 120 women and children, stabilizing lives and preventing chronic homelessness. With families traumatized by homelessness or addiction, case management focuses on education, GED preparation, job readiness and positive parenting.
In a population especially prone to diabetes and obesity, poor nutrition has been proven to compromise development in all these areas, so as residents dig in to gardening, the healthy living model will improve outcomes in all areas.
Source: Ellen Westbrook, Public Relations Manager for the The Salvation Army’s Memphis Area Command
