Volunteers have been at the heart of Hope Solutions since day one. From the first group of our founding congregations, to current day retirees, professionals and students, our volunteers are critical to our ability to support our residents.
Henry Goodman from Boy Scout Troop 246 completed his Eagle Scout Service Project this spring with the hope of inspiring a love of gardening and sustainability. Goodman brainstormed different project ideas with our staff and realized that his love of gardening could benefit the 27 previously homeless families living at Garden Park Apartments.
Goodman completed his project on April 21 and 28, supported by seven of his fellow Scouts: Brady Adams, Alex Chng, Aiden Davis, Connor Khouri, Zachary Min, Will Meyers and Luca Vezalli (Troop 219). During the two-weekend project they refurbished six large garden beds, including improving the irrigation system, and replacing the soil. Next was creating a plan for planting. In discussion with our team and some residents, Goodman created a plan for a mix of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers which could all be easily maintained and used by the community. After removing the old soil, refurbishing and staining the beds, and replacing the irrigation system, they planted organic plants came from several area providers including Moraga Garden Farms during their annual plant sale.
Additionally, Goodman created an ongoing maintenance plan for our team at Garden Park to use to keep the garden going with the help of other volunteers.
“The scouts did wonderful work”, said John Gallagher, Hope Solutions’ Clinical Services Manager. “With the staining and bed clean up, the garden beds now look great, and the revamped watering system means we will be able to sustain the garden for years to come. On behalf of all of us — thank you. We look forward to the beds running over with vegetables and flowers very soon!
As part of an Eagle Scout Service Project, a Scout should demonstrate leadership of others while performing a project for the benefit of their community. It is a life lesson in communication and leadership. Goodman says that he learned a lot about how to lead a project and communicate with partners and peers. “There were a lot of moving pieces in this project — everyone had a role to play,” said Goodman. “It was amazing to see it come together and make the garden a reality. Hope Solutions and their team at Garden Park Apartments were really great partners.”
Goodman chose to refurbish the garden at Garden Park Apartments because gardening is an activity that he has always loved doing with his family. He hopes that with the new plants, more kids will find their own green thumbs.
