Scott Russell Sanders asserts that “The words “community,” “communion,” and “communicate” all derive from “common,” and two syllables of “common” grow from separate roots, the first meaning together or next to, the second having to do with barter or exchange.“
When I read this, it placed the image of Unity Gardens inside my head. At the garden we don’t exchange money with our neighbors; we use the garden as a way of bringing community members out to exchange the most important thing in life—Conversation! I was always taught that the best thing you can do is to have a conversation with someone who is older, wiser, and smarter because they have more know-how just based on the facts of everything that they’ve seen and experienced in their life. At Unity Gardens we have a barter system with community members, who utilize the garden, in which we offer plots and education and, in return, they offer community insight, pride, and, most importantly, they offer Unity Gardens a sense of “belongingness”.
Interning with Unity Gardens has shown me sides of South Bend that I hadn’t known about at first. I know that homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity is everywhere but I never knew that the City of South Bend was trying to combat this with their Center for the Homeless and the Food Bank of Northern Indiana. I haven’t been able to donate my service to the Food Bank; however, I have dropped off extra clothes and sheets from my house to the Center. It may not have been much but I do know that a little bit goes a long way. When I think about how the ideas of poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity all affect sustainable development, I think about what Van Jones, the author of Bridging the Green Divide, noted when he stated that:
“You can’t have a sustainable economy when only 20 percent of the people can afford to pay for hybrids, solar panels, and organic cuisine, while the other 80 percent are still driving pollution-based vehicles to the same pollution-based jobs and struggling to make purchases at Wal-Mart.”
The sustainability revolution won’t just happen overnight; it will be like gardening. First you’ll plant as many seeds as you possibly can without spreading yourself thin. Then you must water (spread knowledge and education) and weed (pull out and remove the nay-sayers) as often as possible, but like most gardening, your yield won’t be much at first. However, as time goes by, you’ll get better and better. This is the sustainability revolution. You have to plant the seed in as many people as possible; some will follow through from the beginning, while some fall off at the same time. Some will make it to the end, and some never will. However, as more and more people get the financial resources and stability, they will get back on the green-revolution and/or sustainable-revolution bandwagon. At times thinking about your next meal is more important than how much gas you’re wasting, how much electricity you’re burning, and if you’re leaving your carbon footprint on the world. Because of the effort and hard work of Sara and Unity Gardens, many South Bend residents don’t have to worry about their next meal! Plant a garden, donate food, donate time, whatever if takes; just get out there and help those who are less fortunate. Carpe Diem!
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