Included in our 2009 mission priorities is the creation of a community garden on our 6,000+ square foot undeveloped lot. The vision statement below is an except from a grant application we submitted to the East Portland Neighborhood Office. Join us in our effort to build community this way.

Much gratitude goes to Rob Eaton who is our point person. Rob and his wife Petal met in Africa in the Peace Corp where they were both involved with developing food sources for the villages they served. Keep up the good work.

Bill

Parkrose United Methodist Church (PUMC) proposes the design and development of a community garden to promote the building of strong relationships between diverse socio-economic and ethnic communities residing in the Parkrose neighborhood. The plan is to create a garden consisting of 16 raised beds, 8 in-ground garden plots, and a small gathering area established on a 75 X 90 plot, adjacent to the PUMC church building located at 11111 NE Knott Street. With the Parkrose Knott School, the Knott Street Park, and a public transportation bus stop all within one block of the site, the garden will create a central node for the community. The raised beds will be made available for a small fee to residents of the Parkrose neighborhood, with focused outreach to low and fixed income individuals and families, people of color, immigrants, and people with disabilities. Members of the PUMC congregation whose socio-economic or ethnic demographic aligns with the project’s target communities will also be encouraged to participate. Under the leadership of PUMC a board will be established with garden members and community members to manage and oversee the implementation and future operation of the community garden.

The project goal is to establish positive connections between diverse populations that traditionally do not connect with each other. By providing a venue for community members to grow their own food while also establishing partnerships with local neighborhood organizations, PUMC will create the opportunity for diverse populations within the community to work together toward a common mission. This work will promote understanding, acceptance and ultimately celebration of the diversity within the community while also fulfilling a basic human need for food. As such, by the end of the project year, December 31, 2009, PUMC intends that each raised bed and each garden plot will be actively used by community members that reflect the demographics found within the Parkrose neighborhood. This goal directly aligns with PUMC’s organizational priorities of reducing hunger in lower income families and communities.