Springfield Promise Neighborhood (SPN) is renovating and expanding the Visioning Garden, an open and free community garden serving low and moderate-income residents in the city of Springfield.
This event will help expand the functions of the garden and providing an area where children have the opportunity to play, learn, and enjoy healthy activities, along with ongoing beautification and place-making efforts.
Adult volunteers will construct and install play/sport equipment within the youth area of the garden. Additionally, youth and adult volunteers will enhance the space by continuing to add to our gravel paths around the main area of the garden, including the addition of custom-painted pavers; picking up trash/debris; planting existing flower beds with perennials for early Spring blooms; and preparing existing garden beds for the upcoming winter months - either planting for fall/winter harvest (inside the greenhouse) or winterization. The day will also include sport/recreational activities for youth who attend.
This project will continue to benefit the community by providing a free and accessible safe space for adults and children to spend time together, having fun learning about fresh foods and exercise, and become more active in establishing and protecting a community space within the neighborhood. The service of cleaning and preparing existing garden beds within the Family
Growth Center space will add to the ongoing opportunity for youth and adults to enjoy and practice urban gardening year-round. This project targets low to moderate income families and children, specifically neighborhood youth attending the closest elementary and middle schools. Approximately 500 youth attend these schools. We engage over 200 students in extended learning programming annually, and over 80 families regularly attend educational and social events we host.
