New Community Garden Inspiring Cooperation

As the 2015 recipient of Lowe’s Heroes Award, Clearwater Community Gardens members were joined by seven Lowe’s employees last Wednesday, September 16th, to construct 36 plots for the new community garden in the East Gateway neighborhood of Clearwater. The organization, which is a project of Clearwater Garden Club, was awarded $2,500 in materials to further realize the first community garden in one of the most distressed areas of Clearwater.

"This is important work," Clearwater Community Gardens Chairman, Howard Warshauer, explains. "Community gardening is about building community and improving people's lives in tangible ways. A decrease in crime, neighborhood beautification, and a sense of community are all proven results of a community garden where local residents are involved, active participants in the project.” Warshauer reported that during the building project, several local residents of that neighborhood stopped by inquiring about the garden and requesting more information. “That’s a good thing,” Warshauer stated, “It’s for the local residents and now that they see members of the community truly behind it, it is hopefully encouraging them to be more involved.”

Already over 25 plots have been reserved by local citizens. The East Gateway location, deemed a distressed neighborhood, was chosen and approved in December as a good location for this community garden project. Sponsors of the East Gateway Community Garden include Lowe’s, Nature’s Food Patch and USAmeriBank.