Former SCLT Board member Tim Kearns, Board President Rochelle Lee, Sanctuary Herbs owner Christina Dedora and Sanctuary farmer Kendra Doe-Mode met up at the 40-ish party.
Old and new friends came out to celebrate our 40-ish
The weather was warm and the vibe was relaxed at our 40 Years & Still Growing party at Peace & Plenty Community Garden on September 18.
There was something for everyone, including African drumming and Cambodian song, tours of the garden and lots of kids’ activities. Plus, of course, there was great food: chicken wings, empanadas, and soul food, plus cupcakes frosted in the colors of SLCT’s logo.
SCLTs Kakeena Castro, Leng and Chai Thao and their daughter Pa at the event’s popup farm stand.
Old friends and supporters from the past four decades reunited and shared memories in our Story Corps-like setup. Newcomers to SCLT’s network learned about our community gardens, nutrition, farming and farmer training programs. People left with raffle items, complimentary lady bugs (thanks to Doug Victor, Peace & Plenty’s garden leader) and free produce from our popup farm stand (grown by Chai Thao).
The event commemorated SCLT’s efforts since 1981 to reduce food inequity in South Providence and other urban neighborhoods where it remains rampant all these years later. Speakers thanked members and supporters who helped SCLT grow from one community garden to 22 gardens and urban farms in three cities, plus rural properties covering 70 acres across Rhode Island.
Many thanks to UNFI, Garden Grill and the RI Foundation for their financial sponsorship of the event, and to our good friends at Bottles Fine Wines for providing refreshing beverages.
