Community Garden Newsletter — July 30, 2026

Drip Irrigation Is In!

Drip irrigation has been installed in all of the garden beds! Thank you to the volunteers who helped us reach this goal — no more hand-watering garden beds!

Fruit Trees

Thank you so much to all the volunteers who have adopted one of our baby fruit trees and committed to watering it once a week this summer.

Volunteer Spotlight: Jalair Przybycien

Accounts Payable Clerk at Family Solutions

My name is Jalair, but I also go by Jay! I volunteer to organize these weekly newsletters and spread the word about the garden. Gardening is something I've always loved and cherished. With the welcoming community we have cultivated here at Family Solutions, I'm confident we can grow more than just plants.

As a kid, food insecurity was something I lived with quietly. Some weeks we stretched meals too far; other weeks we ate whatever we could find, which was usually unhealthy, ultra-processed food. I dreaded going to the grocery store because I couldn't choose what I truly wanted or what my body needed.

That anxiety melted away when I spent time in my grandparents' garden. There was always something to eat! Everything from greens, grapes, pears, squash, peas — all food that would've been out of reach at the store. It wasn't just healthier meals; it felt like proof that our community could help. If we couldn't afford it, we could grow it.

I think that's what community gardens offer families facing poverty: real cost savings, plus skills, connection, and confidence. People learn to grow and care for plants, and those lessons can strengthen how they care for themselves and their families. Growing food builds resilience that lasts.

Ways You Can Help

• Volunteer your time. Join our team on the ground to pull weeds, water, or simply sit and enjoy the garden.
• Spread the word. Share our work with friends and neighbors. Every conversation brings new supporters into the garden.

What's Coming Up

Volunteer Garden Day

Due to scheduling conflicts, there will be no volunteer garden day this Saturday, August 1st.

Fresh Harvest

This week we have kale, mustard greens, and zucchini ready to harvest! When harvesting kale, remember to take only the outer leaves.

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Questions or want to get involved? Email garden@family-solutions.net.