APA helping to feed the need for healthy foods

Ken de la Bastide, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
·2 min read

May 6—ANDERSON — Providing fresh produce to local residents in need is a joint project between The Gathering of Queens and Anderson Preparatory Academy.

The students are part of the Jet Fuel organization at the school and are helping plant a variety of vegetables at the location on Forkner Street.

Purdue Polytechnic students built a solar powered irrigation system to water the plants, along with a pest deterrent system.

"It means a lot," Marilyn Collier with the Gathering of Queens said of the students' help. "It's a good thing for the students to know about working in the community. This is going to provide fresh produce to the homeless and those people in need."

Mattie Walsh, a family outreach coordinator at Anderson Prep, watched Thursday as the students planted the seeds and covered them with straw.

"We're working to get their garden started," Walsh said.

He said the students are required to complete two projects per month.

"They have to reach out to a community organization," Walsh said. "The students have to plan the project and raise the funds."

He said the students have completed 155 community projects over the past year.

The students also are helping with a larger garden on 25th Street for a third year, Walsh said.

Walsh said over the past two years, the student garden has raised 7,000 pounds of fresh produce, and with the addition of the Queens garden, the goal is to provide 10,000 pounds this year.

He said Carol Hatter and Brandy Millikan are parent leaders for the Jet Fuel organization.

Walsh said the Gathering of the Queens hope to expand their garden plot in the future.

"Actually, we can assist each other," he said. "We're trying to help the other gardens get started."

Molly Kimmerling, an eighth grade student, is one of the student leaders.

"It started last summer," she said. "Jet Fuel came together and decided this would be a good project to be involved with."

Kimmerling said the students will continue to work at the garden through the summer months.

Sarah Henson, a sophomore at APA, said she likes that the students are helping the community.

"Help people who are in need of it," she said. "I worked in the garden last summer."

Jaden Jackson, an eighth grader, built a wooden distribution box that will be located at the Anderson Impact Center for the Gathering of Queens food pantry.

"It means a lot to come out and help them out," he said.

Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.