One of my most important responsibilities as a Deacon is to contact, visit and pray with/for our members that are at home and in hospitals and nursing homes throughout the area. In doing so, I’ve learned of the challenges many face in health care, treatment and the prevalence of chronic illnesses like high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure, asthma and other respiratory illnesses that take away our loved ones way too soon.
As I became aware of the disproportionate numbers of people affected in our community and in my own family, my natural response has been to do the research to determine what was being done and the prognosis for remedy or cure. What I found was increasingly more expensive treatment options that in many cases, was worse than the illness being addressed. I learned of the connection between the quality, freshness and nutritional content of the food we eat and what our bodies really need to fight off colds and viruses and other common illnesses.
I wanted to sound the alarm, make some picket signs, get some folk together, march downtown and raise hell with City Hall. Folks need to know that the food we’re eating is killing us. The chemicals and additives in our food are killing us; compromising our immune systems and rendering our bodies susceptible to disease. The message needs to be shouted from the mountain tops. I prayed about it and asked for guidance on what to do with what I had just learned. The message received: “Don’t just get mad. Do something about it!”
That “something” is Central Area Urban Gardeners: Garden of Eden - a collaboration of the Black Dollar Days Task Force and the Maxine Mimms Academies funded by the City of Seattle, Department of Neighborhoods - an indoor urban gardening project located in the Central Area of Seattle. The goal is to grow healthy, safe, nutritious, organic vegetables, herbs, plants and flowers indoors - all year long without sun or soil. In addition to supplying abundant quality food, this project demonstrates our ability to educate residents and train participants in hydroponic gardening and the “seed to table” knowledge that leads to healthy eating and access to fresh, locally grown produce all year long.
Throughout 2014, the Central Area Urban Gardeners: Garden of Eden will grow and distribute fresh, locally grown produce in the Central Area of Seattle. We will contribute fresh produce to local food banks, feeding programs, churches and local residents through events and activities designed to educate and promote healthy food choices and eating habits. Crops produced year-round include: tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, hot chilies, lettuce, mustard and collard greens, chard, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, beans, snow peas, spinach, bok choy and a wide variety of herbs, flowers and house plants.
Volunteers are welcome from the Central Area and surrounding communities. Stay tuned for more information on how you can participate in this life-changing experience. Contact us!
