For Vanessa Jenkins, the Gardens For Everyone program has had a significant impact on her life. The program "brought about a great amount of happiness knowing I was doing it for myself," said Jenkins.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vanessa visited her daughter, who works at a local daycare center, and noticed that the children were tending to a small garden. She saw the joy the program brought to the gardeners, and was inspired to build her own garden. She applied for a Gardens For Everyone garden bed and received multiple garden boxes complete with a variety of starter plants, including different vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
Gardens For Everyone is an Inter-Faith Food Shuttle program wherein, for a minimum contribution as low as $25, applicants in Wake and Durham counties can have a 4’ x 8’ x 20” raised garden bed built on their property. Starter plants, gardening education, and other resources are provided to help ensure gardening success. Priority is given to low- to moderate-income households, as well as organizations in this area that want to grow food for their community. Information and applications are available here.
Vanessa grew up in a large family--with fourteen children to be exact. They grew most of what they ate, and Vanessa developed a deep passion for plants and flowers, passed along from her mother and grandmother. When asked what made her want to get into gardening, Vanessa remembered this passion she had for plants growing up, and she said that "in life's journey, there are some things I need to do to prolong the journey." Vanessa says she wants to live to be one hundred years old, and by growing her own produce and knowing what she eats and where it comes from, she is one step closer to this long and healthy lifestyle.
Vanessa describes her experience as a Gardens For Everyone gardener as "a real joy" and elaborates on the impact it has had on her life. She eats almost entirely vegetarian now, supplemented by the countless vegetables she grows, in addition to some occasional seafood. Vanessa has also faced some health problems in the past and explains how she has overcome all her health issues by primarily eating her own vegetables and fruits. She definitely ascribes to the belief, "you are what you eat.” “It is so very true,” Vanessa declares with a smile.