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Minister sees it as a way to reach the community
By Bill Lilley
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Saturday, Jun 27, 2009
Grand openings for the Community Garden at Arlington Church of God will never get old for Outreach Minister Diane Lewis.
''It's just a great way to tell the community that their garden is open again each year,'' Lewis said. ''It's the start of a new season, and we want to celebrate each year with the community.''
Planning for the garden began four years ago, when church leaders decided to transform a pile of dirt and debris on an empty lot it owned on the north side of the church from an eyesore into a community asset.
''It was our way to get involved'' in the Keep Akron Beautiful project, Lewis said.
That was a great start — but only a start, as far as Lewis was concerned.
The garden, which was dedicated last year, quickly became an effective vehicle for the church to get its message out to the community.
An annual grand opening is the first message Lewis plans to deliver the first weekend of June each year.
''The whole idea of outreach is to build a bridge between the church and the community,'' Lewis said.
''And I think the garden is a fantastic way to bridge that gap and give the people in the community a wonderful place to stop in and relax for a while.
''The community knows that our service to the community doesn't end on Sunday. It actually begins after Sunday. And it gives us a great way to be able to tell people in the community what is going on in the church.''
Lewis also called the garden a great teaching tool for children to learn the importance of community pride and preserving green space.
''Everything about the garden is a real positive for the church, and more importantly, the community that we serve,'' she said.
Lewis said local companies donated many of the flowers and the equipment.
''There were about 30 volunteers who helped to clean up the lot and create the garden,'' Lewis said. ''They did a great job, and we wouldn't have it without their help.''
Lewis said there are about 10 people who maintain the garden on an ongoing basis. Watering is done every day, while mowing, mulching, pruning, weeding and spreading fertilizer also are handled by volunteers as needed.
''We simply could not do what we do without the great work done by the volunteers,'' said Lewis, who is part of the daily watering crew.
''The volunteers are mostly people who own shops in the area, people from the church and people from the community. It's a great group of people.''
The garden expanded this year.
Lewis said there are five park benches, an enhanced pathway and about a dozen different flowers, including roses, day lilies and petunias.
Lewis said the plan is to continue expanding the garden each year, with planting beginning on Mother's Day and the annual grand opening set for the first weekend of June.
She said there is room for expansion; the church owns three lots. The garden has already has expanded into the second lot.
''We need more seating in the path area and do more on the empty lot next door with more flowers, bushes and seating,'' Lewis said.
''But the most important thing we could do in the not-too-distant future is to add a vegetable garden.
''Raising produce would enable us to replenish the food bank at the church that we haven't been able to have. That would be a real connecting piece for the community.
''That would make our garden a real bright spot in the middle of the city.''
Bill Lilley can be reached at 330-996-3811 or blilley@thebeaconjournal.com.
Grand openings for the Community Garden at Arlington Church of God will never get old for Outreach Minister Diane Lewis.
Get the full article here.
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