Tim Crowley of Operation Blessing designed the solar-powered hydroponic garden seen behind him.

NORFOLK, Va. – Only a few months ago it was a vacant lot—abandoned and filling up with trash. But now, the corner lot in the East Ocean View community is a bustling center of community life, verdant and flourishing under the attentive care of the community.

View video

It just goes to show that when a community works together, great things can happen. Operation Blessing joined hands with Bon Secours Healthy Communities, The Home Depot and numerous organizations, businesses and residents to produce a community garden that East Ocean View can be proud of.

“We turned a vacant lot into a real gem for this neighborhood,” said Steve Zollos, director of Healthy Communities.

Families have adopted vegetable boxes where they are learning how to plant and grow vegetables with efficiency in mind. Those families are responsible for maintaining their boxes, and they also reap the benefits of the produce grown.

“If we get them started eating right, we can stave off health problems,” said Rodney Hammonds of New Life Christian Center, a local food outreach that serves the East Ocean View community.

Operation Blessing president (fourth from left) attends ribbon cutting ceremony for the community garden.

The garden was developed not only for the community members’ nutrition but also their relationships. Neighbors in East Ocean View now have a meeting place where they can get to know one another and have a common project to work on. It is turning a neighborhood into a real community.

“If we can come in and improve the environment in which people live, we will improve the health of everybody in that environment,” Zollos said.

The project was also a unique opportunity for Operation Blessing to pilot a hydroponic garden that uses water instead of soil to grow vegetables. According to Jody Herrington-Gettys, Operation Blessing’s director of U.S. disaster relief, this style of gardening can yield 5-10 times the amount of produce of traditional gardening.

By using solar-powered water pumps to run the hydroponic garden, the model used in East Ocean View can be taken around the world—to disaster areas, urban areas lacking space and rural areas lacking electricity or rich soil.

“It fits in with our model of alleviating human suffering around the world,” said Tim Crowley of Operation Blessing, the hydroponic garden’s designer. “What could be better than providing nutritious food? And not just giving food, but teaching people worldwide how to grow their own food.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Every day, Operation Blessing brings nutritious food and essential supplies to thousands facing hunger and poverty in America and around the world. With your help, we can continue to impact lives and give hope to those who need it most. Consider making an online donation today.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 1997- 2012 by Operation Blessing International of this page and all contents. No part of this site may be used without prior written consent from OBI. All Rights Reserved. Questions or comments? Email us at operation.blessing@ob.org.