On Saturday, Jan. 4, the Center of Mental and Spiritual Wellness Garden hosted a community garden and wellness workshop as part of its “Roots of Resilience” program.
The initiative, explains licensed clinical therapist and CMS Wellness founder Londen Gatewood, is a “gardening program that focuses on the mind, body, and spirit of the community through gardening, healthy eating, and physical movement.
“The activities of the day included a clean-up of the Zen garden. “So for the people who come here and co-work or have an event, it’s going to be a garden for them to just come out, chill, kind of relax as they come outside,” explains Lee Hightower III, vice chair of Center of Mental and Spiritual Wellness and lead organizer of the event.
Participants also had the chance to build the second soilless hydroponic tower. “It may look like soil, but it’s actually cocoa coir,” Lee explained.
Related Stories:
“Basically, what we do is we hook this up to a reservoir, we put nutrients into the water, and then the water flows all the way through. Everybody chipped in to help build it. And then we also had them put these seedlings into the pods.”
He continues “we’re going to have our second hydroponic tower growing. So, we got our first one that we did and gave the elders all their food. So this is just going to give us more opportunity to grow some more food.”
The produce from the first tower had previously been distributed to local elders, while the second tower promises an expanded harvest to support even more community members. With the tower complete, participants turned their attention to sharing its harvest.
“We actually walked down Poplar Street,” Hightower states. “We harvested the lettuce from the towers, made salads and gave it out to the other residents who knew Londen’s grandmother, who moved here originally with her. And we served, I think, about 5 or 6 different homes.” The salad offerings included freckled bibb, romaine, and mixed lettuces.
“It was a beautiful event,” said Jair, a participant. “We came out, helped clean up the yard, and then there was a nice meditation ceremony. Afterwards, food was provided. It was a beautiful, coming together of community.”
For Jair, entrepreneurship is a key draw. “I feel like there are a lot of examples of success in artistry and athletics. And I think that being in communities that support entrepreneurship and growing, is important, and that’s a big part of who I am. So that’s why I keep coming back.”
The event, enriched by the music styling of DJ Nylaa Baybee and the fresh wraps prepared by Chef Kyla Shanell, showcased the power of community collaboration and sustainable living.
This event was entirely free, one of many community initiatives hosted by CMS. Lee concluded by saying, “we do encourage people to donate so that we can expand the garden and the program.” The event nurished stronger community bonds and a deeper connection to sustainable living practices.
To learn more about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, or ways to support the “Roots of Resilience” program, visit cmswellness.org or reach out via email at [email protected].
