volunteer appreciation

F* C*

indulge me - i've got to share this.

there we were, cleaning up the most miserably trashed garden you can
imagine. not counting recyclables, furniture and organic debris we filled
eight large garbage bags.  my volunteers were fifteen junior Girl Scouts
with eight moms from St Philip AME Church, a total of 23 helpers trying to
straighten out stone walls and brick borders and stack tomato cages...

when this guy pulls over in front of the garden, introduces himself as the
owner of a thrift store about a block away, which you can see from the
garden, and said he was so happy about the work the kids were doing he would
like to buy them all lunch.  so he hands us $100 cash, shakes hands all
around, and heads on to work.

in five years of community gardening i've met some of the greatest people on
this earth, worked with many happy volunteers who are mostly happier the
harder and dirtier the job is, transformed some lousy plots into lovely
places, and in general i just wander around in awe of the community spirit
around community gardening.  i've had many many many people express
appreciation for our work, but this is the first time i've had a drive-by
luncheon.

Fred Conrad 
Community Garden Coordinator 
Atlanta Community Food Bank 
970 Jefferson Street, Atlanta, GA 30318 
ph: 404.892.FEED ext 216 fx: 404.892.4026 
fred.conrad@acfb.org    www.acfb.org

______________________________________________________
The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org

To post an e-mail to the list:  community_garden@mallorn.com

To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription:  https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden