New Garden Takes Root

Local volunteers, organizations collaborate on new garden project

Samaritan House’s long-awaited garden project got a tremendous boost from the Fort Worth Rotary Club and other valuable sponsors. What once was unusable space between two wings of the current Samaritan House building is now being transformed into a garden area for residents to share year-round.

Scores of middle school volunteers and adults joined forces Saturday, March 11th do plants a xeriscape garden, complete with walking paths and a gazebo. The volunteer program is the brainchild of the local Rotary affiliate.

The Rotary STARS Program—“Service Through Active Rotarians and Students” — combines community service with curriculum-based learning for middle school students. Service learning helps youth by building stronger academic skills, fostering civic responsibility, and developing leadership skills.

This year, 325 eighth-grade students at Riverside Middle School, Fort Worth, TX, will participate in STARS. Each of the twelve social studies classes will be challenged with performing a community service project, receiving direction and ongoing encouragement from Rotarians volunteering as classroom advisors.

Several other important donors helped make the garden project possible. Local nonprofit Feed by Grace donated all the materials for the “hardscape” infrastructure, including the irrigation system, granite pathways, and flower beds with brick borders. Most of the plant materials, including all the trees and shrubs and most of the flowers, were also complements of Feed by Grace. Led by Neale Mansfield, Feed by Grace employs homeless men while it trains them to be landscapers, and then helps them find jobs.

Another key participant was Nathan Chappell, President of Engineered Retaining Wall Systems, who donated the materials and labor for the large native stone planter at the center of the garden. Ben & Jerry’s donated ice cream for the volunteers, and R&R Water donated drinking water.

Thanks to everyone who participated in making this project a success and a blessing to Samaritan House.

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