Local Hero: Jazmyn Benjamin, Highland Youth Gardens
What is it about your work with Highland Youth Garden that brings you joy?
Everything about my work with Highland Youth Garden (HYG) brings me joy! I really love seeing kids try new vegetables for their first time and ask for seconds. I thoroughly enjoy having the opportunity of working outdoors with over 500 children in a setting surrounded by plants, insects, birds and animals. I feel lucky to work with such a diverse group of people, and I feel like we are truly making a difference and getting more fresh food in the hands and mouths that need it the most.
Why is it so important for future generations to understand how to grow food?
Today, so many kids are spending so much of their time indoors away from nature and are disconnected from where their food comes from. Children who grow their own vegetables are way more likely to eat them. We work in a community with very low access to fresh food. I think if children grow up with the understanding of growing their own food, that could empower them as adults to also grow their own food, which would help supplement household food supply, saving them money as well as giving them a sense of power over their livelihood.
Who are you hoping to reach in the community through your work with the garden?
Our main focus is on the kids in the community. If we can get children in the neighborhood excited about growing and eating healthy food, we hope they will bring that same excitement we see in the garden back to their homes and share their love of vegetables with their families.
What does is it mean to be a community organization in service to others in need?
HYG not only provides over 4,000 pounds of fresh produce to children and their families, it is also providing a place of peace in a struggling neighborhood. The garden is a beautiful park for anyone to gather and enjoy. HYG strives to be a model garden for anyone interested in starting their own education garden; we offer gardening support and resources, monthly community celebrations and a safe place for children and neighbors to come together.
To learn more about Highland Youth Garden and to find out how you can get involved, visit highlandyouthgarden.org
Highland Youth Garden offers weekly volunteer times on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 8:30am to noon. There are also opportunities for volunteers to share their gardening knowledge and skills with the community, including education in cooking and nutrition. Volunteers are also welcomed to help at the Westgate Farmers Market, and there are even ways to help through social media. Details on volunteer positions are available on the website, as well as a calendar for opportunities and events in the coming weeks.
Highland Youth Garden is located at 67 S. Highland Ave. in Columbus.
For more information email Jazmyn at jazmynrose1218@gmail.com or call 614.707.2158.
