The Thomasville Center of Hope Boys and Girls Club’s garden program will be back in full swing this summer thanks to frequent requests from the young gardeners.
Thomasville, located in Southwest Atlanta, is one of several “Centers of Hope” in Atlanta - initiated by Mayor Kasim Reed and the Boys and Girls Club. The initiative is invigorating the community by equipping neighborhood youth— living in high crime and poverty— with skills to develop healthy behaviors that lead to productive citizenship.
After running a pilot program last summer with implementation partner, Truly Living Well, the Boys and Girls Club found that their students had "love and respect" for gardening, while parents described the garden as "safe haven" for their children. Not wanting to disappoint, the Boys and Girls Club asked Truly Living Well’s AmeriCorp garden educator to continue the program in 2015.
Through the Thomasville garden program, the children will adapt gardening as a lifelong physical activity, increase healthy eating habits, and reinforce academic and social skills, including science, math and engineering principles.
Food Well Alliance recognizes that community and educational gardens are powerful tools that enhance the quality of life in Metro Atlanta communities.
We support Thomasville Center of Hope Boys and Girls Club’s garden program to leverage gardening as a tool to develop mental, physical and academic wealth among students.
