Wooster nonprofit transforms vacant lots with gardens
The Buckeye Street Gardens is the original effort of Wooster Community Gardens, a nonprofit transforming vacant city lots into green spaces and gardens. Started in 2008, the group promotes and fosters community building by creating gardens and hosting events such as cookouts and holiday parties.
Wooster Community Gardens is a nonprofit transforming vacant city lots into green spaces and gardens. Started in 2008, the group promotes and fosters community building by creating gardens and hosting events such as cookouts and holiday parties.
All the locations are in at-risk neighborhoods that are economically depressed. The gardens give residents the opportunity to supplement their food by gardening and create a place to connect socially with neighbors.
Anyone from the neighborhood is welcome to garden a plot of land. Wooster Community Gardens provides plants, seeds, tools, fertilizer and water at no cost to participants. There is a shed on each property and fruit trees and wild berries.
The project started when David Griffith moved into the Buckeye Street neighborhood. Griffith said there were a lot of drug dealers in the neighborhood. Residents were calling the police, and it wasn’t solving the problem. He decided, “Everybody wants a free burger,” so he began to plan community cookouts.
A master at drumming up donations and volunteers, Griffith would serve hundreds of hamburgers and hot dogs free to anyone who showed up, the dealers included. He invited police officers as well. Over time a community began to connect, kids started to play outside and the dealers moved on.
Wooster Community Gardens partners with local businesses, organizations and houses of worship to raise funds. It also relies heavily on individual donations to keep the burgers flipping and gardens growing.
“There’s a lot that happens at the gardens besides the gardening. Community happens, and the community that starts at the garden changes a neighborhood,” Griffith said. “The cookouts change a neighborhood. If you don’t believe me, ask anyone who knew the Buckeye Street neighborhood 20 years ago.”
At that time four of the homes were owner occupied. Now 14 homes are owner occupied.
Griffith said he has been told that in neighborhoods with gardens, the number of police calls drop.
“Why?” he said. “I can only speculate. My sister says gardens help people lose stress. And neighbors become friends.”
The green spaces are available from dawn to dusk. Wooster Community Gardens asks anyone wishing to use the space for a group function to reach out prior to the event.
Additionally, they have added small food pantries. Everyone is welcome to take what they need or leave what they can.
“We have all been given the goal to help each other,” Griffith said. “Everything we’re doing is all about that.”
Donations may be made online or by sending a check to Wooster Community Gardens, 411 N. Buckeye St., Wooster, OH 44691. During December an anonymous donor will match all gifts up to $2,000. The nonprofit is hoping to purchase another lot.
For more information call 330-464-3300. Find the gardens online at www.woostercommunitygardens.com/ and on Facebook: The Buckeye Street Gardens, The Buckeye Street Neighborhood (Wooster), The Spink Street Gardens, The South Spink Street Neighborhood, The Wooster Community Gardens and Greens.