By Aryka Randall, Contributing Writer
An upbeat day of service for the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. took place at the Mt. Hope Community Garden on Saturday, January 20th. Curated by the sounds of Hareil Corsair, Project New Village hosted a soiree in the garden where attendees were encouraged to share space, help garden, and try fresh produce.
Project New Village Executive Director Diane Moss talked about the connection between Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s Poor People’s Campaign and how it tied into their acts of service for the day. The Poor People’s Campaign brought attention to both hunger and a lack of food programs providing accessibility to healthy food in impoverished areas.
“In the spirit of Martin Lither King Junior we’re encouraging everyone to share a PB & J sandwich with us and have some fresh fruit from the garden. Making food equitable and accessible was important to Dr. King,” said Diane Moss.
Locals of all ages and backgrounds came together to spend time in the garden and celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In one corner of the garden a man named Rodney pruned collard greens and across from him, another group worked on dispersing freshly made compost throughout the produce.
Rodney volunteers at Mt. Hope Community Garden regularly as he enjoys the peace and tranquility of the atmosphere as well as the opportunity to be in nature.
“I enjoy growing things. It’s a process, you watch the produce change during every season and it teaches you a lot about yourself and life. The food tastes better too because the soil is different and we don’t use pesticides” he said.
Throughout the garden people laughed, enjoyed good music, and embraced the cheerful atmosphere representing the life and legacy of someone who was also very passionate about embracing the community.
