Springtime is a time of renewal. Thanks to volunteers from Experience Church, Boys Town North Florida’s ART Town Garden received some extra care this year.
The ART Town Garden began as a beautification project maintained by volunteers. It lost its vigor, however, when previous garden volunteers settled in Jacksonville to pursue a new career opportunity.
Plagued by overgrown weeds and dead plants, the garden no longer served its purpose. In years past, the garden was a teaching tool to educate Boys Town youth about the importance of health, community, cooking and environmental impact. Recently, long-time volunteers from Experience Church provided much needed care to the Boys Town community by weeding ART Town’s garden, raking the grounds and pruning the plants that provide aesthetic charm to the site.
In addition to providing manual labor, Experience Church donated plants and equipment to help maintain the beauty of the campus. The thriving plants in the garden are a testament to what people can accomplish when they come together with a shared goal.
Ellyn Scanlan, Volunteer Coordinator, oversaw the efforts.
“I was so pleased when members of Experience Church contacted me again,” Ellyn said. “After our gardening volunteers relocated, I was having difficulty maintaining the garden and springtime is the perfect time of year to rebuild. I love seeing the new plants flourish like I love watching our youth grow.”