A Community Harvest Garden: Why you want one in your neighborhood….NOW!

A rose by any other name wouldn’t smell as sweet. The same goes for a program that is so much more than your typical community garden project! Introducing your community's newest favorite thing: A “Communal Harvest” Garden Program, unlike a typical community garden, this is a program designed to teach kids, families, and individuals more about gardening, healthy cooking and/or overall health & wellness. Garden Volunteers (Garden Club Members) meet for regular maintenance and harvest. All seeds, plants, and necessary equipment are provided FREE to members, and it is totally FREE to join. The garden space is cared for by garden club members during volunteer hours. The facility is open to the community through a series FREE of professionally taught/lead programs designed to encourage Gardening, Sustainability, Healthy Cooking and Overall Wellness.

Why this program is necessary in your community…

The American health crisis has reached a new state of pandemic all its own. The American Psychological Association's Stress in America pandemic survey polled 3,013 adults in the U.S. and found that the majority, 61%, said they experienced undesired weight changes. Forty-two percent of U.S. adults said they gained more weight than they intended, and of those, the amount they reported gaining averaged 29 pounds. Ten percent said they gained more than 50 pounds.

The survey found groups most impacted by weight gain were also among those who experienced extra challenges during the pandemic: parents and essential workers. About half of each group reported undesired weight gain, with parents reporting an average gain of 36 pounds and essential workers an average gain of 38 pounds.

And unfortunately, much like Freshman 15 pounds of long ago, this weight will stay with an alarming number of us, particularly those belonging to historically disadvantaged populations, among which obesity rates are much higher. Obesity paints a dismal forecast of ongoing health concerns, prescription pills, and doctor visits for countless American’s that feel that a healthy lifestyle is out of their reach.People who have obesity, compared to those with a normal or healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including the following:

All-causes of death (mortality) High blood pressure (Hypertension) High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (Dyslipidemia) Type 2 diabetes Coronary heart disease Stroke Gallbladder disease Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint) Sleep apnea and breathing problems Many types of cancer Low quality of life Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning

Learning how and what to eat is just as essential to legacy building as life insurance yet our community goes unserved. The Community Harvest Program is an attempt to draw a realistic parallel between seed and harvest for historically disadvantaged groups while introducing a healthy lifestyle through a professionally guided food experience that focuses on education and interaction with food.

Garden Club meets every Tuesday from 6:30-7:30pm and volunteers sign up for 30 min to 1 hour time slots depending upon availability Monday & Wednesday from 6:30-7:30, during youth program hours. During this time members perform regular garden maintenance such as, weeding and watering. The dates and times of specific professionally taught series, classes, and guest panels will be announced throughout the program and held free of charge and are open to the public.

This program is perfect for High School Students preparing to leave the nest, avid gardeners that want to share their love of the garden with other community members, parents of school aged children looking for educational summer programs for their children, adults that want to take charge of their health, and everyone in between. For individuals that see the value but can not commit the time sponsorship opportunities are available. If you want to learn more information about the Community Garden Harvest Program or the Green Glove Garden Club attend the Informational Meeting to be held at Inside-Out Youth located at 501 S. Wittenberg Ave. in Springfield, Ohio on April 27th at 6:30pm. We can't wait to see you there! To learn more about the program visit the community Harvest Garden Program page on our website or click the following link:

https://www.everydayediblesllc.com/communityenrichmentprograms