Living in a city, you are often surrounded by hustle and bustle. Life moves fast, and sometimes you need a place to stop and reconnect with the natural world around you. At Catholic University, you can have the best of both worlds: easy access into a metropolitan environment, while living on a campus wide with green spaces. When you are craving some fresh air, roll up your sleeves and visit the community garden!
Catholic University’s community garden first broke ground in 2021. Created by Catholic University students, this space was designed to build comraderie through service to the community and the Earth. The efforts poured into the community garden are used for an essential good: combating food insecurity. Food insecurity is a global struggle, and college campuses are not immune to this issue. Food insecurity, as defined by the US Department of Health and Human Services, is “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” On Catholic U’s campus, we work to make clean and healthy food accessible to those who need it most. Open to students struggling with food insecurity, the Cardinal Cupboard provides free food to those without adequate financial means to healthy food access. By volunteering at the community garden, YOU can make a difference to combat food insecurity, while helping make our campus a little greener.
Why Volunteer?
The mission of the community garden is two-fold. First, the garden is an integral part of Catholic University’s broader sustainability initiatives. Going on five years, our school has been recognized in the Princeton Revew’s Guide to Green Colleges. Last year, we were certified as a Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for our environmental efforts. We have also been repeatedly recognized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education in their Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System. The university has made significant strides toward creating a greener, more environmentally friendly campus, and the garden is a living testament to these efforts. The garden focuses on growing safe, pesticide-free fruits and vegetables. This ensures the health of the garden itself, as well as those who eat what it produces–boosting the well-being of the community as a whole.
Secondly, all of the produce harvested at the garden is given to the on-campus food pantry. Cardinal Cupboard is Catholic U's food pantry, which provides food items to university members experiencing food insecurity, no questions asked. Our students deserve to use the energy toward their studies, their faith, and their well-being. They shouldn’t be concerned about where their next meal will come from. Cardinal Cupboard is a judgment-free zone that works toward the betterment of our community.
The work at the community garden helps to boost Catholic U’s campus to be more environmentally conscious while also continuing to care for our neighbors in the community.
How Can I Help?
No prior experience is needed to volunteer at the garden. If your thumb isn’t quite green yet, you will be able to learn from veteran volunteers. The work you will do may include...
- Garden maintenance: watering plants, checking on plant health, and keeping the garden functional
- Harvesting produce: collecting fruit and vegetables ripe for picking
- Pulling weeds: removing intrusive growths to give room to the planted produce
- Composting: contributing to the cycle by turning food waste into soil
Take a step away from end-of-year stress to breathe in the fresh air and reconnect with nature. Not only will you be helping the community, you will be helping yourself! Time outside has been shown to promote mental health and reduce anxiety. Spend an hour of your time at the community garden.
Get Involved!
April is Earth Month! There is no better time to help care for our planet than NOW! Small changes you make every day can lead to a meaningful impact. Recycle, conserve water, limit energy usage, hug a tree, and most importantly–educate yourself! By learning how to live sustainably, you can take an active role in saving our planet. Caring for our planet is caring for God’s creation. We are all called to be stewards of the Earth. One way to live out your faith is by respecting the natural world that God gifted us with. This month, grow you relationship with God by making a steadfast effort to become a caretaker of our planet.
Mark your calendars because Earth Day is April 22nd! Reflect on the footprint you are leaving behind and commit yourself to being part of the change. Celebrate this year by being part of the difference at Catholic U’s community garden.
The Office of Sustainability hosts weekly harvests at the community garden. Join us behind Curley Hall every Thursday at 9 am–no experience necessary!
Email sustainability@cua.edu to learn more!