10/13/2016
Well, it's very interesting to see new people checking into the Garden of Joy, and posting pictures of it online. It is also obvious that these people have no idea how or why it was started! In 2007, Pat Betty (me) was adamant about bringing nutrition, "from seed to table", to inner-city kids in the area. Most of these kids were not used to eating vegetables and fresh fruit, didn't know about planting seeds and suffered from asthma, bronchitis, and a host of other conditions directly linked to poor nutrition!
Despite resistance from most of the Asbury Park schools, which did not even have to pay to participate in our enrichment programs, I did manage to get it off the ground, with the help of the kids, some rotating volunteers and head volunteer, Lisa Bagwell.
We are sorry we had to lose the space that we built into a little Garden of Eden, and also sorry that the buyer of the space did not see fit to have us continue gardening there.
However, we are very pleased that we affected the lives of many children and others for the better, during the time we were there.
Glad you are enjoying the space.
