SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:

New community garden sows seeds of goodwill

By Rick Haase, Photos by Kevin Reeves

Community garden in Parma There’s a brand new community garden in front of the Ridgewood Family YMCA, 6840 Ridge Road, Parma.

Ridgewood Family YMCA Executive Director Gary Guzy said that the garden is funded by a $2,000 grant from the United Way of Greater Cleveland and the Mott Foundation.

It is the latest result of a partnership between the YMCA of Greater Cleveland and the Parma Area Collaborative, under the leadership of Executive Director Mary Wise.

Ken Boris and Lynn Stutzman, along with Ridgewood Family YMCA Program Director Nicholas Standering, helped bring the garden to the Ridgewood Y, and personally did a lot of the work necessary to cultivate it.

Work began on the garden June 14, and it will be maintained by members of the Ridgewood Family YMCA Leaders Club, a group of 14 youth between the ages of 11 and 17.

The garden features both flowers and vegetables, Guzy said.

The hope is that the vegetables will be donated to area food pantries, including the Parma Heights Food Pantry, under the leadership of Executive Director Ann George.

“It’s certainly made our grounds more beautiful,” said Guzy. “And, it has also provided an activity for the youth that we serve.”

Interestingly, the garden is planted on the site of an old Bocci Ball court.

This garden is the second in the area to be brought to fruition through the efforts of the Parma Area Collaborative.

The first is on the grounds of Shiloh Middle School on Grantwood Drive.

Ridgewood Family YMCA Leaders Club Members who have been actively involved in the project are: Nicole Baginski, Mollie Fedrowiz, Katelyn Gronowski, Kevin Gronowski, Anastasiya Kalinina, Andrew Kelling, Austin Koch, Chuck Leftridge, Leigh Mira, Sam Mira, Kaelyn Moore, Nicholas Rebar, Danielle Smenda, and Emily Utterback.

Baginski, is from Cleveland; Fedrowiz, Parma Heights; the Gronowski's, Parma; Kalinina, North Royalton; Kelling, Parma; Koch, Parma; Leftridge, North Royalton; the Leigh's, Parma; Moore, Parma; Rebar, Parma; Smenda, Parma; and Utterback, Parma Heights.

The community gardens began through My Commitment, My Community, a youth initiative of the Cleveland Foundation, which recognizes several communities in Northeast Ohio, including Parma and Shaker Heights, according to Wise.

The Shiloh Community Garden is headquartered at Shiloh Middle School on Grantwood Drive in a school courtyard. The garden is now having herbs harvested. It features vegetables, herbs and flowers, Wise said.

The Ridgewood Family YMCA garden is similar in design to the Shiloh effort.

"It's intergenerational," Wise said. "We looked at the Y (as a site for the community garden) because of that.

It’s all about teaching our children responsibility and about the need to help others and give something back.

“It makes me feel very excited about the positive things we are doing in our community to help those in need," Wise said. "It really pulls a community together.

She added that the city of Parma Heights is looking into starting a community garden.

Five Ridgewood Leaders Club students presented to the Mott Foundation to garner the $2,000 grant received to fund the garden with Boris.

The future success of the community gardens is three fold. The gardens must be maintained, harvested and shared with the community, Wise said.